Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar has put social media behemoths on notice. Character assassination via digital means is unacceptable, and platforms must purge such content without delay, he asserted in a press conference that grabbed headlines.
What triggered this? A toxic mix of political rivalries, personal vendettas, and clickbait journalism fueling rampant misinformation. Deepfakes and morphed images have amplified the problem, making verification harder than ever.
The police blueprint includes algorithm audits for platforms, mandatory reporting of flagged content, and joint war rooms for crisis response. Offenders will face the full wrath of IPC sections 499 and 500, plus IT Act penalties.
Beyond enforcement, there’s a human angle. Counseling for defamation victims, media literacy programs in schools—these form the holistic strategy. The DGP shared anecdotes of lives upended by online trolls, humanizing the issue.
Industry watchers predict ripple effects nationwide. Meta, Google, and X (formerly Twitter) have acknowledged the notice, hinting at policy tweaks. For Telangana’s 40 million internet users, this means a safer digital commons.
As the sun sets on unchecked online vitriol, hope rises for responsible innovation. The DGP’s message is clear: freedom ends where harm begins.