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Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee writes to Amit Shah over rising cybercrime; seeks strict laws
Mamata Banerjee said that provocative content on social media potentially incites violence, communal sentiments and crimes against women.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed "deep" concerns to Union home minister Amit Shah over the rising cases of cybercrimes and increased provocative content on social media, pressing for stringent legal provisions against such acts.
She said that the proliferation of provocative content on some sections of social media platforms and the alarming rise in cybercrime are posing as serious challenges to public peace and the social fabric of the nation.
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"In recent times, it has been observed that incendiary narratives, misleading stories, and fake videos circulating on social media are contributing significantly to the aggravation of criminal tendencies among certain sections of society,' she said.
Content incites ‘violence, crimes against women’
Banerjee further added that such content does not just spread misinformation but also carries the potential to incite communal sentiments, violence, and subsequently disrupt the society's harmony, including indulgence in crimes against women.
The West Bengal chief minister's remarks gain significance against the backdrop of the recent gang-rape of a first-year law student within the premises of South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area.
Recently, Kolkata police had warned against the attempts made to leak the identity of the survivor on social media and across platforms.
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Banerjee said that cybercrimes, ranging from financial frauds to online harassment and defamation, are taking a "severe toll on individuals and institutions alike".
"Notably, both provocative social media posts and cybercrimes disproportionately affect the vulnerable sections of society—women, children, the elderly, and those from economically weaker backgrounds—who are often less equipped to identify, counter, or recover from such harm. This exacerbates existing social inequities and leaves large segments of our population exposed to profound psychological, financial and social distress," the CM said in her letter to Shah.
She pressed on the urgent need for stringent legal provisions that can act effectively against the creation and circulation of provocative content, and "acts perpetrated with criminal intent in cyberspace".
She said that the laws in place presently need further strengthening to keep pace with the rapidly changing digital ecosystem and the complex methods used by criminals.
"Equally important is the necessity of fostering widespread awareness regarding the responsible use and consumption of digital media. Many of our people remain unaware of the risks associated with consuming and sharing unverified content. This menace is increasingly spreading throughout the country," she added.
Banerjee highlighted that sensitisation programmes, digital literacy campaigns and community engagement initiatives must all be vigorously conducted to arm citizens with tools to "critically evaluate online information and to report suspicious activities promptly".
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kolkata Police, the law student gang-rape case, said it has come to its notice that certain individuals are trying to disclose the identity of the victim through circulation of confidential documents or by other means, warning that it is a "serious violation of the law".
The police cautioned against the sharing of any material, including documents, images or social media content that could directly or indirectly reveal the survivor's identity.
