Restricting hate mongers on social media is need of the hour

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: Despite the government making it clear that the internet must be a safe and trusted place with all platforms being accountable to their users, social media companies continue to draw regulatory heat on issues such as hate speech, harmful content and misinformation on their platforms.

As per the rules, a social media site must remove any content flagged by authorities within stipulated timelines and set up a robust complaint redressal mechanism. Further, they also have to monitor abusive and derogatory comments on the posts and timelines of users.

For instance, in March, Cyber Economics and Narcotics police in Bagalkot district arrested a person who had created a social media account and was posting inflammatory content while posing as a Muslim man.

Later, the cops said that a few miscreants had tried to create communal disturbance and unrest in society by posting objectionable content on their social media accounts and also through fake accounts. Retired Superintendent of Police SK Umesh explained that the perpetrators involved in traditional crimes are aware of the punishments related to IPC sections.

However, in the crimes committed using social media, it is not possible to arrest the accused immediately. Speaking to News Trail, the senior official said, "Everyone has a smartphone and easy access to any website. However, there is a lack of knowledge and awareness of cyber laws among the people.

Cybercrime laws themselves are not simplified, making it difficult for cybercrime police to get convictions. The procedures require experts, and there is a shortage of skilled staff. Chargesheets that are being filed will not stand in court due to procedural lapses," Umesh said.

According to cyber experts, Karnataka police is dependent on courts, which do not accept digital documents. The accused persons in cyber-related offences think that they can escape the law, which makes them emboldened and this problem is faced by the whole world, an expert said.

Reports of hate crime

It is a matter of concern that a majority of hate crimes were recorded after 2014 when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre as also in many states. Shockingly, most law enforcement agencies have stopped functioning independently and now work instead like an extension of the ruling political party.

According to Hate Crime Watch, out of 287 hate crimes motivated by religious bias from January 2009 to April 2019, 262 took place between 2014-19, whereby 99 persons were killed and over 703 wounded across 23 states. In 2021, Karnataka reportedly witnessed 39 hate crimes against the Christians alone.

Trend of hate programmes on TV

There are billions of instances where social media platforms and several TV channels have been used as a tool to promote religious disharmony across the nation. Ordinary viewers gulp down such fiction without knowing that it is a well-crafted policy where owners of TV channels direct the producer of the programme to generate anti-Muslim content at the behest of some "hidden forces”.

One such instance made headlines across national newspapers when a tech ethics professional, Indrajeet, filed a complaint against News18 India debate programme on the 'Hijab ban' in Karnataka, hosted by anchor Aman Shopra, following which the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on News18 for "flagrant disrespect" and violation of the Code of Ethics.

It also directed the channel to take down the video of the debate programme from all media platforms within one week.

Loss or win, the agenda generates revenue for social media companies

Social media platforms make a lot of money by allowing advertisers to target audiences with extreme precision, and thus, it is in their interest to let people find the communities where they will spend the most time.

Artificial Intelligence tends to work on such algorithmbased models that promote viewership engagement, and hence, it can inadvertently result in promoting violence and extreme content. For instance, if a person happens to watch any random video on communal violence or a conspiracy theory, the auto-play option and automatic suggestion of related videos based on one’s previously watched history of videos can subsequently result in exposing him or her to hatred-driven propaganda and sinister participation in violence in the long run.

These media platforms also need to be transparent and accountable in terms of their approach to defining, moderating, and tackling hate speech and misinformation on their platforms, so that they cannot be misused by hate mongers. The government and authorities must initiate permanent helpl