India has issued a stern warning to social media platforms, threatening 'consequential action' in response to the recent surge of hoax bomb threats targeting Indian airlines. These false alarms have caused significant travel disruptions and raised concerns over national security. Some of the threats resulted in planes being rerouted to Canada and Germany, while fighter jets were deployed to escort aircraft over British and Singaporean airspace.
The government described the spread of these threats as 'dangerously unrestrained' and cautioned social media platforms that they could face legal repercussions if they fail to promptly remove misinformation. 'The instances of malicious acts, in the form of hoax bomb threats to such airlines, lead to a potential threat to the public order and security of the state,' the government stated in a recent release. 'Such hoax bomb threats, while affecting a large number of citizens, also destabilises the economic security of the country.'
According to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, at least 275 bomb threats were made since mid-October, all of which were proven false. Other Indian media sources suggest the number could be closer to 400. The government emphasized that social media platforms must adhere to their due diligence obligations, or they could lose their exemption from liability for third-party information.
Civil aviation authorities have been forced to thoroughly investigate every flight that has received a threat, many of which were communicated via messages on X, formerly known as Twitter. The government's warning did not specifically name any social media company but referenced an advisory notice from the information technology ministry. 'The scale of (the) spread of such hoax bomb threats has been observed to be dangerously unrestrained due to the availability of the option of 'forwarding/re-sharing/re-posting/re-tweeting' on the social media platforms,' the ministry noted.
The ministry further stated that companies must report any content that could threaten the unity, integrity, sovereignty, security, or economic security of the country and must cooperate promptly with government agencies to assist in investigations. The government announced on Monday that it is considering 'legislative action' to update aviation and aircraft security laws, making those who make such threats subject to more severe penalties.
India, often ranked among the top five countries globally for government requests to remove social media content, has a history of strict enforcement. Last year, an Indian court imposed a $61,000 fine on X after the platform unsuccessfully contested orders to remove tweets and accounts critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
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