SC: Setting up of social media hub is like creating surveillance state

The Supreme Court today took a strong note of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s decision to set up a social media hub for monitoring online data, observing that it will be “like creating a surveillance state”.

The top court said the government wants to tap citizens’ WhatsApp messages and sought its response within two weeks.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud issued notice to the Centre on a plea by Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Mahua Moitra and sought Attorney General K K Venugopal’s assistance in the matter. “The government wants to tap citizens’ WhatsApp messages. It will be like creating a surveillance state,” the bench said.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Moitra, said the government has issued request for proposal and the tender will be opened on August 20.

“They want to monitor social media content with the help of this social media hub,” Singhvi said. (PTI)