The Indian government has issued a strong warning to social media platforms, threatening “consequential action” after a wave of hoax bomb threats targeting airlines this month led to significant travel disruptions and raised serious national security concerns.
These threats have resulted in flights being diverted to places like Canada and Germany, and fighter jets being scrambled to escort aircraft over regions including Britain and Singapore.
Authorities have described the spread of these threats as “dangerously unrestrained.”
In a statement on Saturday, officials stressed that such malicious activities pose a grave risk to public safety and state security.
“Hoax bomb threats not only endanger numerous citizens but also threaten the country’s economic stability,” the statement indicated.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that at least 275 bomb threats have been logged since mid-October, with some estimates suggesting the total could be nearly 400.
The government has made it clear that social media platforms could face legal repercussions if they do not swiftly remove false information, stating,
“The exemption from liability for third-party content does not apply if intermediaries fail to fulfill their due diligence responsibilities.”
Civil aviation authorities are now compelled to investigate every reported threat, many of which have originated from posts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
Although the government did not name any specific social media companies, it referenced guidance from the Ministry of Information Technology.
The ministry pointed out that the rapid spread of these hoax threats is fueled by the ease of sharing and reposting content.
Companies are required to report any actions that could threaten the nation’s unity, integrity, sovereignty, security, or economic stability, and must cooperate with government investigations.
In light of the escalating situation, the government is considering “legislative action” to update aviation security laws, proposing that individuals making such threats be classified as committing serious offenses with stricter penalties.
As the largest democracy in the world, India often ranks among the top five countries for government requests to remove social media content.
Recently, an Indian court imposed a $61,000 fine on X for challenging orders to remove tweets and accounts that criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
