The Supreme Court has issued notices to Meta and X in connection with the police's misuse of social media. The petition cites several cases in which the police post photographs of accused persons.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the central government and all states regarding the alleged misuse of social media by police. The court has also sought responses from social media platforms Meta and X. The petition cites cases from various states where police released videos of accused persons after their arrest.

The petitioner, Hemendra Patel, stated that despite Home Ministry guidelines, in many cases, police transport accused persons bound with ropes. Police then post such photos or videos on social media. Such actions not only harm the accused's dignity but also impair their right to a fair trial.

No clear rules- Petitioner

The petition, which was filed earlier, also alleges that Meta and X's policies do not clearly address the posting of such images and videos of accused persons by the police.

The Supreme Court heard the case in March this year. The court stated that it had directed states to develop guidelines for such cases in January, and that this deadline expires in April. The petitioner subsequently withdrew the petition. Now, he has filed a fresh petition, stating that the states have not taken any action.

Controlling social media is a big challenge: CJI

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, appeared before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. He argued that some high courts have issued guidelines in this regard, but clear rules that apply across the country are needed. The Chief Justice agreed, saying that controlling social media is a major challenge.