NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed central paramilitary forces like the Central Reserve Police Force and the BSF to restrain their personnel from sharing sensitive information and photos on social media forums like WhatsApp and Facebook.
The directive from the ministry came after it was detected that the troops of a paramilitary force had circulated photos of some active Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from their operational base in the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh.
A large fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other logistics of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) have recently been moved into the state to aid security forces in undertaking quality anti-Naxal operations.
In a stern communication sent to all central paramilitary forces like Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Security Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashtra Seema Bal, National Security Guards and Assam rifles, the ministry has asked them to sensitise and direct their personnel to not share sensitive information on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, chat groups and any other form of mass media. “Sharing of photographs or details of sensitive projects and prohibited places by the Central Armed Police Forces deployed for the security of vital installations and sensitive places is a serious matter having serious implications and as such sharing of such information in social media networks and general public should be discouraged at all levels,” the directive stated.
The forces have also been asked to ensure that while sharing of general information with known people and family is not prohibited, it should be made sure that all types of sensitive or classified information is not shared with even these kind of connections.