Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been…

Question

Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

India counters the security risks of social media and encrypted messaging through blocking and traceability rules under the IT Act and IT Rules 2021, central and state cyber agencies, and global cooperation. Privacy-preserving traceability under judicial warrants that meet the Puttaswamy test is the key further remedy.

**Introduction**

In Manipur in 2023, rumours on messaging apps deepened ethnic violence, and the State answered with a long internet shutdown. Social media spreads propaganda at scale, while end-to-end encryption hides terror handlers and rumour sources from lawful interception.

**Measures at the Legal and Regulatory Level**

SKETCH: concentric | Layers of Social Media Security
- Global cooperation
- Laws and rules
- Central institutions
- State police cells
- Platforms and users

1. **Blocking powers**: Section 69A of the IT Act lets the Centre block content threatening security, upheld in Shreya Singhal (2015).
2. **IT Rules 2021**: Large platforms need India-based compliance officers and messaging services must identify the first originator of serious-crime messages, a mandate WhatsApp has challenged.
3. **Shutdowns and reporting**: The Telecommunications Act 2023 permits suspension in emergencies, subject to Anuradha Bhasin's (2020) proportionality test, and CERT-In requires six-hour incident reporting.

**Measures at the Institutional and International Level**

1. **Central and state agencies**: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre's Sahyog portal sends takedown notices, and state cells such as Kerala Police's Cyberdome track hate content and flag rumours before they turn violent.
2. **Global cooperation**: The UN Counter-Terrorism Committee's Delhi Declaration (2022) targets terrorist use of new technologies, while legal assistance treaties help obtain data abroad.

**Way Forward**

1. **Privacy-preserving traceability**: Metadata analysis and hash-matching under judicial warrants can trace originators without breaking encryption, meeting Puttaswamy (2017).
2. **Law and literacy**: A Digital India Act, trained cyber police and Finland-style media literacy would close the remaining gaps.

**Conclusion**

Balancing security with privacy and free speech can build a trusted digital public sphere, the cyber face of comprehensive national security and SDG 16.

Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem.

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