Delhi HC Asks Social Media Platforms To Submit SOPs For Furnishing Info To Police

Delhi HC Asks Social Media Platforms To Submit SOPs For Furnishing Info To Police

SUMMARY

The HC noted that the “time lag” between police seeking information and receipt of such information from social media platforms is impeding the process of tracing missing persons

The HC also directed the Delhi Police’s counsel to hold a meeting with concerned police officials and place a note before the court on “any challenges” faced by agencies

The Delhi High Court bench has listed the matter for next hearing on October 8

The Delhi High Court (HC) has directed social media platforms to submit details about their standard operating procedures (SOPs) while responding to requests for information from law enforcement agencies.

“The platforms shall place on the next date, their standard operating protocol for dealing with requests for information from law enforcement agencies including the timelines,” it said in a recent order.

In the order, dated September 20, the HC bench noted that the “time lag” between police seeking information and receipt of such information from social media platforms is impeding the process of tracing missing persons.

Subsequently, the bench, comprising Justice Prathiba Singh and Justice Amit Sharma, directed all major intermediaries, including Google, Meta, Reddit, X, Telegram and LinkedIn, to furnish details about their SOPs for requests from law enforcement agencies and timeline for providing such data. 

The HC also directed the Delhi Police’s counsel to hold a meeting with concerned police officials and place a note before the court on “any challenges” faced by enforcement agencies and training required by them.

“In order to ensure that such delay and lag does not impede the process of tracing out missing persons who are sometimes even children and minors, it is necessary that proper timelines ought to be adhered to by the concerned online platforms and their concerned officials. It is also necessary that the IOs (investigating officers) are also properly acclimatised to the manner in which requests ought to be posted, how the portal is to be monitored and immediately upon receipt how the same is to be downloaded from these platforms,” read the order.

The directions came as the HC was hearing a habeas corpus writ petition filed by the parents of a missing child. The Delhi Police contended before the HC that it had sought information about the Instagram handle of the missing child from Meta but the said data was not supplied by the platform. 

During the hearing, Meta counsel Tejas Karia said that the information was later furnished to the said agency on the morning of the hearing. Karia also said that there are “usually” training programmes for law enforcement agencies to access the portal functions for seeking the said information. 

The HC said that the delay in furnishing such information was noticed in other cases as well. The bench then listed the matter for next hearing on October 8.

Notably, this is not the first time that social media platforms have landed in the crosshairs of Indian authorities. While Google has been grappling with antitrust fines, Meta has been under fire from the government for failure to crack down on fake news and misinformation.

Besides, social media platforms have also been pulled up by authorities for failure to comply with takedown orders or effectively crack the whip on content related to child sexual exploitation and terrorism. 

Note: We at Inc42 take our ethics very seriously. More information about it can be found here.

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
UNLOCK 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
UNLOCK 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

Delhi HC Asks Social Media Platforms To Submit SOPs For Furnishing Info To Police-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

Delhi HC Asks Social Media Platforms To Submit SOPs For Furnishing Info To Police-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

Delhi HC Asks Social Media Platforms To Submit SOPs For Furnishing Info To Police-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

Delhi HC Asks Social Media Platforms To Submit SOPs For Furnishing Info To Police-Inc42 Media
Delhi HC Asks Social Media Platforms To Submit SOPs For Furnishing Info To Police-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company