Patna: Bihar Police has registered 128 FIRs and arrested 16 people in a statewide drive against objectionable and misleading social media content between March and June this year, according to official figures released by the state police.
Police said the campaign is aimed at curbing online content that could threaten law and order, spread misinformation or target individuals through offensive posts.
FIRs, Arrests And Account Removals
According to Bihar Police, nine social media handles, user IDs and channels were removed after they were found to be circulating objectionable or misleading content.
Officials alleged that the deleted accounts had shared baseless, misleading or offensive material targeting holders of constitutional offices, members of the public and private individuals.
Hundreds Of URLs Removed
During the four-month period, Bihar Police issued 453 takedown notices to social media platforms and other service providers, seeking the removal of objectionable content.
The notices covered 856 URLs, of which 823 have already been taken down, police said.
Officials added that monitoring of social media posts relating to constitutional office-holders and other public dignitaries has been intensified as part of the ongoing campaign.
Police Warn Against Spreading Misinformation
Bihar Police said it would continue to take legal action against individuals found using social media to spread rumours, circulate misleading information, disturb communal harmony or publish content that unlawfully harms the reputation of others.
The police also appealed to the public not to share unverified or misleading information online.
Citizens have been urged to report any viral content they believe to be objectionable, suspicious or misleading to the nearest cyber police station or other police authorities, with officials stating that public cooperation is essential in tackling the misuse of social media.
