State to act firmly against hate speech and misinformation on social media

Andhra Pradesh Education, IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday asserted that the State government would act firmly against individuals and groups spreading malicious, hate-filled and obscene content on social media platforms.

Participating in a meeting of the Ministers’ Group on Social Media Accountability and Citizen Protection at the State Secretariat, Mr. Lokesh said constructive criticism of government policies would always be welcomed, but deliberate attempts to spread hatred, misinformation and abuse would not be tolerated.

He stressed the need for stronger monitoring of offensive online content, particularly posts targeting women, and called for stringent action against those indulging in character assassination and personal attacks under the guise of freedom of speech.

The meeting discussed key legal and regulatory provisions, including the IT Act, 2000, the IT Rules, 2021, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and judicial safeguards related to free speech and privacy. Emphasising the urgency of curbing AI-generated deepfake and obscene content, the Minister suggested framing age-based regulations for social media usage.

Mr. Lokesh observed that organised and malicious campaigns were being run on social media to provoke controversy, often spreading widely within seconds. He clarified that the government had no intention of suppressing public opinion or democratic dissent, noting that platforms such as protest zones were available for opposition parties. However, he warned that abusive and defamatory online campaigns, especially those targeting women, the judiciary or individuals, would invite strict legal action irrespective of political affiliation.

Calling for a comprehensive study of social media regulatory frameworks elsewhere, Mr. Lokesh cited examples from Australia, the European Union and the United Kingdom, where independent regulatory mechanisms with heavy penalties are in place to deter misuse of digital platforms.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha highlighted challenges in the timely registration of cases and filing of charge sheets in social media-related offences. She stressed the need for strengthening cybercrime capacity and said efforts would be made to ensure charge sheets are filed within a month. She also announced the establishment of State-level coordination cells and said the views of retired judges and legal experts would be considered while framing a robust legal framework.

Several Ministers, senior officials, cybercrime experts and representatives of the Information and Public Relations Department attended the meeting.