Centre withdraws proposal of monitoring social media

In a big relief to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Mohua Moitra, the Central government on Friday submitted to the Supreme Court that it had withdrawn its proposal of making a social media hub and monitor the social media.

The Attorney General (AG), KK Venugopal, top law officer representing the Central Government, told the three-judge bench of the Apex Court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra that no monitoring of social media will be done anywhere in the country.

After the AG submitted to the Apex Court that the Central Government had withdrawn the proposal of making a social media hub and to monitor it, the top court disposed off the petition filed by Mohua Moitra.

Moitra had challenged before the Supreme Court the decision of the Central Government to monitor social media content at the district level.

The Apex court three-judge bench, headed by CJI Misra, and also comprising Justices A. M. Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, had earlier issued a notice to the Union of India and sought a reply within two weeks. The Apex Court had also asked the AG to assist the court in the matter.

Justice Chandrachud, had earlier observed that "tracking and regulating social media contents will transform us into a surveillance state.