Communal, obscene rants increase on Clubhouse, surveillance upped

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police department has intensified its monitoring of chat rooms on voice-only app Clubhouse after the cyber shadow cops reported that discussions potent enough to disrupt communal harmony and those encouraging obscenity and demeaning the modesty of women are rampant on the platforms of the new social media entrant.

The police social media page said the cyber shadow police are constantly monitoring the chat rooms, where nefarious activities are taking place and strict action will be taken against the moderator, speaker and the audio panelists, who overstep.

According to the state police, the app is predominantly used by middle-aged persons. Additional DGP Manoj Abraham, who is the nodal officer of the Cyberdome, said eight complaints have been received from people regarding the content of discussions.

“The complaints were regarding use of obscene language and comments outraging the modesty of women during discussions,” Manoj Abraham said. After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the controversial comments made by Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, there has been an increase in communal rants on social media platforms.

“The communal rants have increased during the above-said occasions. On Clubhouse, a lot of discussions took place where people talked for and against the Taliban takeover and the speech of Pala bishop. Since people with different opinions are coming together, the conversations in many chat rooms have stooped to the level of communal rants,” said a cop attached with the cyber police.