Supreme Court of India seeks responses on PIL against police social media posts

The Supreme Court of India has issued notices to the central government, all states, Union Territories, and social media companies Meta and X regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The petition seeks to prevent police organizations from posting content on social media that reveals the identities of accused persons or depicts them in dehumanizing ways.

The plea highlights instances where images and videos showed accused individuals being handcuffed, tied with ropes, beaten, made to kneel, or dragged. It requests that states be directed to remove such existing content and establish formal guidelines to regulate how police use social media platforms.

Additionally, the petition asks Meta Platforms Inc and X Corp to develop policies and user guidelines to ensure their platforms do not host content that subjects accused persons to derogatory or inhuman treatment. It also calls for a transparent mechanism to allow for the prompt removal of such material following user complaints to protect the dignity and due process of the accused.