India SC slams govt's plan to monitor data

India's Supreme Court yesterday said the decision by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to set up a social media hub to monitor online data will be "like creating a surveillance state".

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the Indian government to respond within two weeks to a plea by Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Mahua Moitra and sought Attorney General K K Venugopal's assistance in the matter.

"The government wants to tap citizens' WhatsApp messages. It will be like creating a surveillance state," the bench observed.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Moitra, said the government has issued a request for proposal and the tender will be opened on August 20.

"They want to monitor social media content with the help of this social media hub," Singhvi said.

The bench then said it is listing the matter on August 3, before the opening of tender on August 20 and the Attorney General or any law officer for the government will assist the court in the matter.

Earlier, on June 18, the apex court had refused to accord urgent hearing on the plea seeking to stay a Indian government move to set up a 'Social Media Communication Hub' that would collect and analyse digital and social media content.

The counsel for Moitra had said that the government is trying to monitor social media content of individuals by tracking their social media accounts such as those on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and their e-mails.