Chittoor Police intensify vigil on misuse of social media platforms

The Chittoor Police on Sunday decided to step up monitoring of social media platforms and cautioned the public against spreading provocative or misleading content online. Superintendent of Police, Tushar Dudi, appealed to the public, especially youngsters and social media administrators, not to circulate rumours, fake news, communal messages, morphed pictures, or provocative videos on social media platforms.

This comes after a clash erupted between two groups on Friday as one group were celebrating the month-long Hanuman Jayanti festivities by displaying banners, while the other pulled down them down. A police inspector and a constable were injured in the melee.

Mr. Dudi said the police department has been keeping a close watch on online activities and cautioned that stringent action would be taken against anyone found creating or sharing content that could disturb communal harmony or public peace.

“Even a single irresponsible social media post has the potential to create tension. All responsible public should exercise restraint and responsibility while using digital platforms,” he said.

The SP advised the administrators of some of the key social media platforms to closely monitor posts shared in their groups and immediately remove objectionable content if found. He appealed to the public not to believe or forward unverified messages and instead rely on official sources and credible news platforms for information.

The district police further urged the people to promptly inform their area police stations or through Dial 100 if they came across rumour-mongering or attempts to spread communal hatred online.