CHENNAI: The riot on the campus of a private school following the death of a Class 12 girl in Kallakurichi caught TN off guard. The school was vandalised and scores of people were injured in the incident, and the major driver of the riot is said to be rumours and fake news on social media platforms.
Notably, the State government had announced the formation of a Social Media Monitoring Cell (SMMC) during the annual budget this year. Four months into the announcement, however, it is yet to be launched.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior police officer close to the project said preparations were on and that the police were planning to launch it as soon as possible. “As social media is an evolving concept, it takes time to completely analyse and study its various aspects. Only after an analysis is done can the required equipment be acquired.”
Social media monitoring is no new concept. Cyber cells attached to many police stations monitor social media, but the SMMC is envisaged to function as a command centre for such cells from across TN, the officer added. The SMMC, which would be located in Chennai, would monitor fake posts, inflammatory comments, pictures, and videos uploaded on various social media platforms.
According to sources, the SMMC would be a part of the state-level Cybercrime Investigation Centre (CIC) established at the Police Training College in Ashok Nagar.As for the finances, the State government had allocated Rs 10,285 crore to the police department in the 2022 budget. That is Rs 1,385 crore more than what the department was allocated in the 2021 budget.
Power to register cases
The SMMC would have a team of 30 police personnel working in three shifts and is likely to have the power to register cases