The Supreme Court today dismissed the Centre’s proposal to set up social media monitoring hubs. Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Centre’s move, the apex court said, “We seem to be moving towards a surveillance state.” The petition was filed by Trinamool Congress MLA Mahua Moitra.
“The government wants to tap citizens’ WhatsApp messages. It will be like creating a surveillance state,” a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said.
The petitioner said that the Centre’s move to set up social media monitoruing hubs was a violation of Right to Privacy, declared a fundamental right by the Supreme Court last year.