Manmohan Singh asks top cops to find “creative solutions” to curb misuse of social media

PM and Home Minister with a section of cops

PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the top cops from across India to find creative solutions to curb the misuse of social media and SMSes while reiterating the merits of the social media, particularly the ease of communication through it. The following is what PM said while addressing at the annual conference of DGPs in New Delhi on Saturday:
“It is widely accepted that social media facilitates exchange of knowledge, information and ideas and can be used for constructive purposes. Therefore, in preventing its (social media and SMSes) misuse we need to find creative solutions which do not unreasonably curb the freedom of expression and the ease of communication that social media does provide,” PM said.
In fact, Singh reminded the cops about the misuse of social media and SMSes to fan violence during the recent disturbances in Muzaffarnagar. He also reminded them of the disinformation spread through those means last year contributing to a mass exodus of North-East students from southern states, particularly Karnataka.
PM further talked about the growing challenges of policing in metropolitan areas. “Factors like the anonymity offered in the urban landscape, individualistic lifestyles and floating populations make the detection of metropolitan crimes difficult, and therefore we need special techniques to tackle this growing menace,” he said. PM stressed the need of community policing which not only helps in the prevention and detection of crimes but also encourages citizens to associate themselves voluntarily with the local police. “I urge you to intensify efforts towards promoting and institutionalizing community policing initiatives,” PM added.