City cops to restrict sharing of ‘misinformation’ on social media

Top officials in the city police have advised their colleagues that under no circumstance such gatherings should be allowed on the Marina in future and have instructed the Cyber Crime Cell (CCC) to find out ways to monitor and restrict such content on social media. 

Beyond this, what has turned out to be a fresh concern among the police circles is a latest message that is doing rounds on WhatsApp and Facebook, requesting youngsters to once again gather on the Marina to protest against the NGOs that had moved a petition challenging the Bill passed recently by the Assembly to amend certain provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, in an effort to facilitate the conduct of jallikattu. 

City police have even put out a public advisory requesting people not to believe such propaganda and have made it clear “all sorts of rallies and protests are banned on the Marina.” 

Not to take chance with another congregation of youngsters, they have also deployed a large contingent of armed reserve personnel on the beach. “We are now trying to monitor and restrict sharing of such misinformation. Action will also be taken against individuals, who create or share such fake messages via social media,” a senior police official said. 

Meanwhile, officials attached to the CCC said restricting such content on social media would not be possible. “We can keep an eye on the activities of suspected individuals (those who were active on social media circulating various information connected to the protest on Marina) on social media, but restricting content will not be possible. We can report the personal IDs of such users to Facebook headquarters and have their accounts blocked. But soon, they will surface through a fresh account and continue their campaign,” an official attached to the CCC said. 

More officials from CCC have been assigned the task of monitoring contents posted on Facebook by the suspected individuals. 

Some fringe extremist elements have also been under police radar as cops suspect that they might influence the youngsters to further their cause, police sources said. 

22 more arrested in city 

Police on Saturday arrested 22 more persons in connection with the violence that broke out following pro-jallikattu protests, in which vehicles were torched by miscreants, in the city on January 23. Police sources said, the arrests were made in connection with incidents of arson and violence in Vadapalani, M K B Nagar, Vepery and Egmore. 

While 10 people were arrested in Vadapalani, seven, including a woman, were arrested in MKB Nagar. Four people were arrested for the violence in Vepery and one person at Egmore. 

Police said a total of 66 cases were registered and 215 people have been arrested in connection with the violence so far. Police were searching for 100 more persons involved in the violence.