Maharashtra Police cyber crime wing issues advisory against fake news, rumours on pandemic

As per the directions of the Home department of Maharashtra, various district cyber labs and cyber police stations in the state are currently monitoring the social media space and messages on phone messenger platforms, to track misinformation and rumors being circulated about the pandemic and lockdown related issues, under the supervision of Maharashtra Cyber.

In its advisory about pandemic-related fake news, Maharashtra Cyber stated, “It has been noticed that certain malicious elements are spreading fake news on social media and messaging platforms amidst this pandemic. It is the duty of every citizen to be responsible about what they share on such social media platforms and messaging applications. Various messages such as free recharges, benefits to unemployed youngsters by the government, etc are being spread over the Internet, creating unnecessary panic… these links direct people to malicious webpages created to collect information on your devices along with sensitive personal information. These links harvest the data of people without their consent and can facilitate various phishing and malware attacks.”

An official told The Indian Express that pandemic-related malicious messages have been in circulation, including messages claiming unemployed people were being given Rs. 3,500 per month as part of a government scheme during the pandemic, or about Union health ministry offering 60 GB data for phones or free recharge of Netflix.

Three days ago, the Supreme Court of India, taking cognisance of the menace of fake news, had instructed the Centre to take concrete steps to curb the spread of misinformation in various forms. At the international level, the World Health Organisation had warned in early February that the coronavirus outbreak has been accompanied by an ‘infodemic’ — over-abundance of information, some accurate and some not — that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.

Superintendent of Police with Maharashtra Cyber, Balsing Rajput, said, “Maharashtra Cyber is monitoring social media public posts with the help of district cyber labs and cyber police stations. So far, 64 first information reports have been filed across the state. The misinformation was spread through various platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and other media. We are making appeals to people to report fake news or rumours to the nearest police station or at the National Cyber Crime Portal at http://www.cybercrime.gov.in for taking stringent action. It is also requested to follow official government sources for reliable and factual information.”

Of the total 64 offences registered in the state, 39 are for spreading fake news on WhatsApp, six on Facebook, two on Twitter, one on TikTok and 16 through other media like audio clips or YouTube. Jurisdictions like Satara, Beed, Mumbai City, Bhandara, Gondia, Pune Rural, Kolhapur, Nanded, Nashik and Thane have registered three of more offences.

“While individual police units are monitoring social media platforms round the clock, cases are also being registered based on messages or information received otherwise,” said Rajput. Officials said these cases range from spreading fake news about one particular person having tested positive or to messages that could have large-scale impact.