Challenges of Social Media in Democracy
- Corporate and political power has overwhelmed large sections of the media, both print and visual, which lead to vested interests and destroy freedom.
- The rise of polarizing and divisive content has been a defining moment of modern politics, which is fed by fake news propagation through social media channels.
- Section 124a of IPC under which sedition is punishable by life imprisonment endanger the freedom of journalists. This lead to fear among journalists to work freely.
- Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 imposes certain obligation on significant social media intermediaries.
- Another dangerous element is the labelling and trolling of more rational voices or those who disagreed with the government’s actions or dominant public discourse as “anti-national.”
- Many terror modules were busted by police in India, all of whose members were groomed, trained, funded and armed by their handlers on social networking sites.
- World over, there are cases of terrorist operations, especially lone wolf attacks, being coordinated through social media.
