The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have initiated significant legal action against the India Head of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, along with several other social media account holders. The action follows allegations of allowing the dissemination of morphed, obscene, and highly offensive content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi across these social media platforms. According to official reports, two separate cases have been registered, and a detailed investigation is currently underway to identify the source and intent behind these posts.
Details of the First Complaint
The first case was registered based on a complaint filed by S. Arvind Reddy, a 29 year old businessman. While browsing Instagram, Reddy reportedly encountered several digitally altered and morphed videos and images that portrayed the Prime Minister in a derogatory, obscene, and misleading manner. The complainant highlighted that the content appeared to be created using advanced digital tools or Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
Specific instances mentioned in the complaint included morphed visuals showing Prime Minister Modi alongside Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in an obscene manner, as well as an edited photograph involving former US President Donald Trump, while the complainant argued that such content is designed to mislead the general public, spread misinformation, and incite hatred or public unrest. Also, it was alleged that these posts damage the reputation of public figures, offend public decency, and could potentially disrupt law and order by creating enmity between different sections of society.
The Second Complaint and Allegations
The second legal action stems from a complaint lodged by T. Saikiran Goud, a Telangana BJP worker and a member of the social media CC. Goud stated that while using social media on Wednesday, he discovered offensive reels and morphed images on both Facebook and Instagram. In his complaint, he demanded a thorough investigation into the accounts responsible for publishing such material, describing the content as harmful to the sovereignty, integrity, and public order of India.
Legal Sections and Police Investigation
Following these complaints, the Hyderabad police have invoked several stringent sections of the law. The cases have been registered under Section 66-C (identity theft) and Section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act. On top of that, charges have been framed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically Section 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) and Section 336(4) (forging electronic records to cause damage to reputation).
Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that many of the controversial videos and posts have either been deleted by the users or have been restricted from being viewed within India. The authorities are continuing their probe to trace the digital footprint of the accounts involved and to determine the extent of Meta's accountability in allowing such content to remain on its platforms.