NIA plans tough crackdown on viral anti-national content; social media firms to face new accountability
PTC Web Desk: After blocking online videos of Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, gangster Goldy Brar, and other anti-India propagandists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is now preparing to take stringent action against those who assist in making such content viral on digital platforms.
According to senior officials, the NIA is coordinating with various intelligence agencies to launch a comprehensive strategy targeting the online spread of provocative and deceptive materials. Under this initiative, major social media companies will be formally reminded of their responsibilities and asked to implement proactive measures to prevent the circulation of such content.
The upcoming framework is expected to mandate platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) to monitor objectionable content using internal tools and report compliance regularly. These platforms will also be required to notify the government about actions taken against flagged content—both domestic and foreign in origin.
Officials added that Indian law would apply even to those posting controversial material from overseas, with legal proceedings likely against both foreign-based originators and Indian users who share or promote such content.
While a blocking mechanism for specific videos is already in place, authorities are shifting focus toward prosecuting individuals and networks amplifying banned content.
Top-level meetings involving the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Electronics and IT, and the Ministry of Communications have been held to finalise a multi-agency response plan.
The move comes months after the US Department of Justice revealed a thwarted assassination plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. The plot, allegedly orchestrated by an individual linked to India’s external intelligence agency (R&AW), led to the indictment of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who was extradited from Prague to the US in June 2024. Gupta, according to American investigators, was conspiring with ex-official Vikash Yadav to hire a contract killer to eliminate Pannun.
- With inputs from agencies
