PIL in Bombay HC seeks regulation of online hate speech

PIL in Bombay HC seeks regulation of online hate speech

Narsi BenwalUpdated: Monday, June 08, 2020, 02:34 AM IST
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The Bombay High Court has ordered the Union government to clarify its stand on a plea seeking mechanism to regulate hate speech on social media. The government has further been asked to respond whether a criminal case could be registered against Twitter India for allegedly promoting Khalistan movement and hate speech on the platform.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Amjad Sayed has asked additional solicitor general Anil Singh to respond to the petition filed by Gopal Jhaveri, a resident of Borivali.

Jhaveri has urged the bench to issue directives to the Union government to take action against Twitter India, "involved in conspiracy of promotion of Khalistani movement."

"The authorities must be directed to make a mechanism to check contents and advertisements which are spreading anti-national agenda, hatred amongst the communities, seditious, instigative, separatist, hate-filled, divisive, against the society at large and against the spirit of Union of India," Jhaveri has prayed in his plea.

According to Jhaveri, the office bearers of Twitter India have deliberately, with a view to create rift in the society, promoted the prohibited content of the "Sikhs For Justice" a banned organisation that has been demanding a separate Khalistan state in India.

"The absence of any law to deal with offensive and hatred messages, the platforms like Twitter are knowingly promoting the messages which are against the law of the land and therefore, Twitter India needs to explain for circulating and promoting the prohibited content. It appears that Twitter India is sympathetic to terrorist groups," the petition alleges.

The petition further goes on to state that Twitter India thinks that it isn't governed by the Constitution of India and thus could operate with impunity. "Therefore, a law is required to deal with such kind of hatred and divisive messages. The government has to prohibitive such type of hate speeches and advertisements which are having separatist agenda, seditious material, hatred amongst communities, instigative, divisive against the society at large, threat to national security and against the spirit of the Union of India," the plea reads.

The petition highlights that over 10 per cent of the total 330 million active users of Twitter have fake handles/ accounts and these become root cause of many divisions in society leading to riots, violence, disharmony in the society.

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