As Director General of Police (DGP) Jammu and Kashmir Nalin Prabhat directed district police heads in the Union Territory to closely monitor social media platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation that could jeopardise public safety and order, it becomes clear that the police in the Union Territory is committed to maintain law and order as misuse of social media in many instances in the past has led to deterioration of law and order across the country.
Taking into account the seriousness of the matter, the directions given by the DGP J&K seem to be decisive and timely and therefore all the stakeholders should give top priority to this aspect to ensure that lawlessness should not grip the UT. This initiative is vital for putting a check on the spread of misinformation and anti-India propaganda.
As we all know that a single instigating tweet or morphed video at times can ignite unrest as was seen in many cases in the past, this move to monitor social media is not only necessary but crucial for maintaining law and order and deterring the anti-nationals from giving shape to their nefarious designs.
No one can deny the fact that social media has emerged as a strong knowledge tool but side by side it has flourished itself as a ready-reckoner for spreading misinformation, radicalization, and malicious narratives designed to destabilize society. For Jammu and Kashmir, there is dire need that special care should be taken to stop the anti-social and anti-national entities from misusing social media platforms as this could prove deleterious for the society which is heterogeneous and diverse in many terms.
This aspect is no secret and therefore people sitting across the borders often misuse this medium to sway the people against the national interests making it necessary to keep a watch on people’s activities on social media platforms. The DGP’s order, thus, reflects a pragmatic understanding of modern security threats.
District police units, being the first line of defence in internal security, should always be on tenterhooks as they cannot afford to remain complacent and let the wrong happen in an uncontrollable fashion.
Though at times, such a monitoring infringes privacy but considering the level of threat and its possible devastating outcomes, ignoring the activity on social media is totally unadvisable and therefore it is rightful to monitor social media day and night to curb the anti-nationals and anti-socials from doing things which are deplorable and detrimental to the core interests of the country.
