HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Cybercrime police have registered two cases against the India head of Meta as well as several Facebook and Instagram accounts for allegedly allowing the circulation of morphed and objectionable videos and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the social media platforms.
In the first case, S Aravind Reddy, a 29-year-old businessman, alleged that while browsing Instagram, he came across multiple morphed and digitally manipulated videos and images portraying the prime minister in an obscene, derogatory and misleading manner.
According to his complaint, the content included manipulated visuals obscenely depicting Modi alongside Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and an edited image of US President Donald Trump. The complaint further stated that the content appeared to have been digitally altered or generated using artificial intelligence and circulated on social media.
It alleged that such posts could mislead the public, spread misinformation, incite hatred or public unrest, outrage public decency, defame public figures, disturb public order and promote hostility among different sections of society.
In the second case, T Saikiran Goud, a Telangana BJP activist and social media CC member, alleged that he found objectionable reels and morphed images on Facebook and Instagram while using social media on Wednesday.
Facebook, Insta posts on Modi deleted
Sai Kiran sought an investigation into the accounts allegedly publishing content “detrimental to the sovereignty, integrity and public order of India”.
“We, BJP Telangana Karyakarthas, respectfully submit this complaint seeking an investigation into certain Instagram accounts that have allegedly been publishing and circulating content which, in our opinion, is derogatory towards the Prime Minister of India and appears to promote narratives that may be prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and public order of the nation,” the complaint stated.
When TNIE checked the accounts, some of the Facebook and Instagram posts had been deleted, while others were inaccessible from India.
Police registered the cases under Sections 66-C (identity theft) and 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, and Sections 353(2) (statements conducive to public mischief) and 336(4) (forged electronic record harming reputation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. An investigation is underway.
