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13 Jul 2018 5:45pm

SC Seeks Centre’s Response on Setting up Social Media Hub to Monitor Online Data

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The SC bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra today took strong note of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s plan on setting up a social media hub for monitoring WhatsApp data. The bench, which also had Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, observed that,

The government wants to tap citizens’s WhatsApp messages. It will be like creating a surveillance state”.

The SC bench, then issued a notice to the Centre seeking Attorney General (AG) K.K. Venugopal’s assistance in the matter within two weeks.

The court’s observation came after hearing a plea by Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Mahua Moitra, who had challenged the Centre’s decision to create a social media hub. Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Moitra, told the court that the government has issued a request for a proposal and the tender will be opened on August 20.

Proceeding further, Singhvi said, “The Government want to monitor social media content with the help of this social media hub”.

Earlier, on June18, Moitra had sought for an urgent hearing on the matter. However, his plea for an urgent hearing was declined by the top court’s vacation bench of Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Indu Malhotra.

Read More: SC agrees to hear plea challenging centre’s decision to create a social media hub

The bench said it is listing the matter for further hearing on August 3, before the opening of the tender on August 20 and the AG or any law officer for the government will assist the court in the matter.

 


Tagged: Supreme Court Information and Broadcasting Ministry Social Media Communication Hub WhatsApp AG KK Venugopal TMC Legislator Mahua Moitra
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