GUWAHATI: The Central government issued an advisory on Saturday, October 26, urging social media platforms and other intermediaries to prevent the spread of hoax bomb threats targeting airlines operating in India.
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Hoax bomb threats have recently been spreading uncontrollably through features like forwarding and re-sharing on social media, posing significant public order risks, particularly for airline passengers.
The Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) affirmed that these false threats not only alarm the public but also disrupt economic stability and compromise security. It also emphasised the legal obligation of intermediaries to exercise “due diligence” under the IT Act and IT Rules, 2021, which requires swift action to block or remove false and harmful content.
MeitY further highlighted that intermediaries must adhere strictly to the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023..
Failure to comply could mean losing liability exemptions under Section 79 of the IT Act, making the related platforms accountable for unlawful content.