Agnipath protest: 35 WhatsApp groups banned for spreading fake news
In the crackdown against fake news spreaders, the government has banned 35 WhatsApp groups. It had come to the government's notice that, during the Agnipath protests, fake news was being spread and it promptly moved to get these WhatsApp groups banned. As many as 35 WhatsApp groups were banned for spreading misinformation on the Agnipath scheme and Agniveers on Sunday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said. This comes after several reports on social media platforms, especially WhatsApp, were being used to boost and mobilise people during the Agnipath protest in states like Bihar, which then turned violent. Also, the sources told HT that at least ten people have been arrested on charges of organising protests and disseminating fake news. To control the fake news, Centre has issued a PIB fact-checking number - 8799711259 for WhatsApp users.
On June 17, the Bihar government had suspended internet services in 12 districts for 3-days while citing spread of objectionable content in order to incite the public and cause damage to life and property. Also read: New WhatsApp photo feature rolling out to these users!
The district administration in Patna mentioned that the collected information from the phones of arrested protestors hinted toward the role of coaching centres. Chandrashekher Singh, the District Magistrate of Patna told IANS, “The operators of seven coaching institutes are also on the radar of the district administration. We have put security forces on high alert. If necessary, we will not hesitate to stop internet services in Patna.”
Amid the ongoing protests, the Centre has clarified that the Agnipath scheme for recruitment to the armed forces for a four-year term will not be rolled back. Even the Defence Ministry has made
Read more on tech.hindustantimes.com
