The Delhi Police on Wednesday said they have registered a first information report (FIR) against unknown social media handles over objectionable social media posts and content against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A notice was also sent to X in this regard to take down social media posts and get details of the users who made the posts.
Event Context
Senior Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) officers said more such FIRs over more such defamatory content against the PM and other ministers are likely to be lodged in the coming days.
Police said the social media posts were mainly found on X, including written posts, deep fake videos, AI edited videos and fake rumors.
In the letter sent to X on Sunday regarding “derogatory, malicious and defamatory content…targeting constitutional heads”, six social media handles are mentioned.
“The URLs hosted on your platform contain posts being used for dissemination of false, defamatory, manipulated and objectionable content with malicious intent to tarnish the reputation of public personalities and other individuals” reads the notice, seen by HT.
Police said the FIR is based on the same notice and was lodged on Sunday under sections 351 (3) (grave threats), 353 (2) (intentional circulation of false information that promotes hatred, enmity between different religious or other groups), and 352 (2) (criminal defamation).
A senior police officer said, “The posts are not all related to Cockroach Janta Party’s protest but also from handles who have posted extremely objectionable content against constitutional heads”.
The police directed X to disable access to the accounts as well as URLs immediately, within three hours of receipt of this intimation, while ensuring that the relevant data, logs and subscriber information are “preserved for evidence purposes”.
“It is further submitted that the circulation of such objectionable and defamatory content has caused serious harm to the reputation, dignity and public image of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The continued availability of such content has the potential to disturb public order, create unnecessary political controversy and erode public trust,” reads the notice.
This comes two days after, police sent another notice to X on similar grounds.
Two links were mentioned in the notice from July 24 with directions to X to “remove the alleged post/video from your platform immediately” and provide the complete registrant details such as full name, address, contact details and email ID of the X account ID holder from which the above content is posted including login and logout details with time and date stamp.
Police said that in the last month, more than 250 social media posts have been removed from X targeting the PM and other ministers.
Police said they have also identified around 500 social media accounts that allegedly shared deepfake and AI-generated content related to the protests and further FIRs are likely to be lodged.
Another senior police officer said, “In addition to IFSO, cyber police station of New Delhi and Crime Branch’s cyber cell are also taking down posts actively on social media and blocking accounts or issuing notices.”
