Bihar police intensify cyber patrolling in view of ongoing festive season

Patna: Bihar police has intensified cyber patrolling and social media surveillance to identify and trace people who post provocative and objectionable content that might disturb peace in the ongoing festive season in the state.

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar police has already alerted 44 cyber police stations and district police to monitor provocative, objectionable and hate-filled messages on social media platforms and also to identify and act against persons or organisations who indulge in such illegal acts, Nayyar Hasnain Khan, Additional Director General (ADG) of EOU, told PTI on Friday.

“The entire operation, based on artificial intelligence software, is being monitored by a dedicated team of officers at the EOU headquarters in Patna. We initiated action against more than 50 provocative, hateful, sensitive and objectionable social media posts in the last month and got those either blocked or deleted,” another official, who is in-charge of the social media monitoring unit of the EOU, told PTI.

The EOU also got 15 FIRs registered in this regard in Aurangabad, Siwan, Saran, Nalanda, Samastipur, Katihar and Purnea districts in the recent past, the official added.

Digital scanning of various platforms, containing gross misinformation and rumours, is also being done and such posts are being pulled down, the ADG said, adding stern action is taken against the guilty.

“We have also found during our investigation that few materials that were shared on social media turned out to be recycled,” the ADG said.

Recently, police arrested YouTuber Manish Kashyap for allegedly posting fake information and videos on his social media page and spreading rumours about attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu.