Mamata writes to Amit Shah on ‘provocative’ social media content, rising cybercrime

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing “deep concern” over the increase of provocative content on social media platforms and the alarming rise in cybercrime cases across the country. She has asked the Union government to bring about stringent legislative and policy interventions to curb the rising “menace” and help protect vulnerable people.

In her letter dated July 3, Ms. Banerjee warned that incendiary narratives, fake videos, and misleading stories circulating online were “contributing significantly to the aggravation of criminal tendencies among certain sections of society.”

“Such content not only spreads misinformation but also has the potential to inflame communal sentiments, incite violence, disrupt societal harmony and indulge in crime against women,” she wrote in her letter to the Home Minister.

The CM said that the wide reach of social media and digital platforms can easily escalate situations. This can cause serious damage for the vulnerable and marginalised people like the elderly, women, children, and economically weaker sections and cause psychological, financial, and social distress.

She also said that the increased sophistication of these cybercrimes is a cause for alarm ranging from financial frauds, identity theft to online harassment and defamation. The Trinamool Congress party supremo claimed that the existing laws in India were not enough to handle the fast-evolving nature of the digital crimes committed in the country.

“There is, therefore, an urgent need for stringent legislative provisions that can act as an effective deterrent against the creation and dissemination of provocative content and acts perpetrated with criminal intent in cyberspace,” Ms. Banerjee’s letter further added.

Besides tougher laws, the CM called for “sensitisation programs, digital literacy campaigns and community engagement initiatives” to make citizens of the country more aware of online risks and understand the gravity of digital fraud and unverified information.

She urged the Home Minister to consider the matter as a priority consideration because it can have a larger impact on national and personal security.

This comes as Kolkata, like many other places in India, has seen an increase in cyber fraud cases and monetary loss for many, including elderly people.