NEW DELHI: The High Court has directed the Commissioner of Police to develop a comprehensive handbook for Investigating Officers (IOs) to streamline the process of obtaining timely information from social media platforms. The move aims to bridge the gap between cops and tech giants, ensuring effective handling of urgent investigations.
A division bench, comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Amit Sharma, noted that delays often occur as IOs are unaware of the correct protocols for requesting information. “Precious time is lost due to lack of clarity on procedures for obtaining critical data from social media platforms,” the court observed.
The court stressed that the proposed handbook should detail the procedural requirements for requesting information and include contact details of the platforms’ nodal officers. It also suggested that training sessions be conducted for police officials in collaboration with social media platforms.
“In case any training is required, the Commissioner of Police may also call for meeting with the platforms and hold training sessions for Police Officials, so that, in serious cases there is proper cooperation, collaboration and timely furnishing of information by the platforms to avert the commission of crime or to obtain information which may be required during the course of any investigation,” read the court order.
The directive came while hearing a habeas corpus plea by a mother seeking police action to locate her 19-year-old son, missing since January 10. The police revealed that they had sought information from Meta regarding the Instagram account of the missing boy. Meta informed the Court about its Law Enforcement Online Request System, which allows agencies to request data. The platform highlighted that in emergencies, responses are provided within minutes.
Similarly, WhatsApp stated that it has responded to urgent requests, such as those involving terrorism, within as little as 12 minutes. Google informed the Court about its dedicated platform for the Indian government, while Reddit detailed its emergency protocols for cases involving imminent threats to life or safety.
The Court noted the platforms’ willingness to cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies in serious cases. It also directed the Union home ministry to submit a status report on its ongoing consultations with stakeholders to streamline coordination with social media platforms. The case is scheduled for further hearing on December 11.
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