Misuse of Social Media

It is intriguing that people are not taking things seriously as far as misuse of social media is concerned because every now and then the police has to take action against the perpetrators behind the spreading of misinformation on these platforms. The latest instance has been reported from Baramulla District where police has arrested three persons for allegedly spreading rumours through various social media sites with the intent of disturbing peace.

These anti-social elements were sharing old videos by portraying them as recent incidents, with the intent to disturb public peace and order. Considering such cases, it has become important that people should be educated on the issue of judicious use of social media especially when it has become easy for the law enforcement agencies to identify each person’s activity on social media through electronic surveillance.

It is also a fact that in most of the cases, the persons involved are not techno-savvy but are ordinary people having limited knowledge of the digital world. It is necessary that the police and other concerned agencies should spread a message to educate people that it is now very easy to identify the ‘footprints’ of people in the digital space and no one can enjoy any kind of immunity after committing a misdemeanor on social media sites.

It is a crucial issue because by the time the law enforcement agencies will catch hold of the wrongdoers by following their footprints on social media, the damage would already have taken its toll, therefore it is necessary that people especially those with wrong intentions should be made aware that they cannot dodge the police and other security agencies.

Thus, it is better to behave while one is online and using social media. What is imperative in this gamut is that the public should refrain from creating, sharing, or amplifying unverified content on social media as such deeds may lead to strict legal consequences.

The police cannot afford to allow such elements to create discord in society through sharing hateful content on social media therefore people with a wrong mindset have to understand that under no circumstances the concerned authorities will allow them to do things having potential to disrupt peace, which has been hard-earned by the security forces and common people after getting full moral and logistic support from the incumbent government in the Centre.

It is good that cyber police in Kashmir has been acting proactively in the aforesaid matter, trying to identify and investigate the suspects behind such crimes having potential to vitiate peace.