Centre has withdrawn proposal for a social media hub, AG informs SC

The Centre has withdrawn its proposal for a Social Media Communications Hub, the Supreme Court was told today, days after the apex court observed the country will be moving to a "surveillance state" if the move is aimed at monitoring online data.

The top court was also told by Attorney General K K Venugopal that the Centre will undertake a complete review of its social media policy.

On July 13, the apex court had asked the government whether the move by the Centre to create the hub was to tap people's WhatsApp messages.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the submission of Venugopal, who appeared for the Centre, that the proposed decision has been withdrawn and decided to dispose of the petition that had alleged it was a tool to monitor online activities of citizens.

The government, in its request for proposal (RFP), had invited bids and proposals for selecting an agency to set up a "Social Media Communication Hub' by the Information and Broadcasting(I&B) ministry.

At the outset, Venugopal submitted that the plea has been rendered infructuous as the government has withdrawn its decision and would undertake a "complete review" of the matter.

The bench was hearing the petition filed by TMC MLA Mahua Moitra alleging that the Centre's social media hub policy was to be used as a tool to monitor social media activities of citizens and should be quashed.

The Trinamool Congress(TMC) legislator from West Bengal had asked whether the government wants to tap citizens' messages on WhatsApp or other social media platforms.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha last month, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore had said, "There is no proposal to invade an individual's right to privacy, and the right to freedom of speech."