Out of 1940, only 484 requests made to social media firms for IP details were answered: CCB to HC

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) informed the Madras High Court today that only 484 out of 1,940 requests made to social media companies, including Facebook and Twitter, seeking IP details of suspected cyber-criminals were answered during 2016-2018.

It submitted that without such crucial information, it is difficult to commence investigation into complaints of cybercrimes, Additional Commissioner of Police, CCB MT Ganeshmoorthy said.

The officer made the submission through an affidavit on a PIL moved by Antony Clement Rubin, a resident of Chennai, seeking direction to the central government to make it mandatory to link Aadhaar to all social media accounts.

According to the petitioner, the people involved in cybercrimes could be easily identified if Aadhaar was linked with such accounts.

Explaining the difficulty faced by the department, Ganeshmoorthy said, "To investigate any kind of complaints of cybercrime, the CCB is largely dependent on the information provided from the social media company concerned."