Government affirms actions to check misuse of social media: Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI: The government today said steps will be taken to check misuse of social media platforms to disrupt communal harmony and national security.

"Well as far as radicalisation or extremism...communal or pro-terrorist views are concerned, there is a proper mechanism of coordination between Home Ministry and our Ministry," Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said in response to a question on social media.

Prasad further said he would like to reiterate government's commitment of free discourse on social media is "equally very important".

"Recognising that larger commitment of ours, surely in the case of security, in case of communal harmony and in case of extremism, if certain steps are needed, they will be taken," the Minister said.

Objectionable contents with hate messages, especially those having communal overtones, could soon be removed from social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook as the government is planning to convene a meeting of stakeholders for this, sources said.

During 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots in Uttar Pradesh, security agencies had blamed hate messages spread through social media platforms for causing heightened tension among communities.

Rumours spread through social media had caused panic among people from the Northeastern region living in Bangalore and its neighbouring cities, leading to mass exodus in 2012.