Govt asks social media platforms to remove 100 COVID-19 related posts

Many of the removed tweets had content related to shortage of medicine, beds, mass cremations, and the gathering of crowds at Kumbh Mela amid the pandemic

The government has asked social media platforms to take down around 100 posts which it believes were done to create panic about the COVID-19 situation in India by using unrelated, communally sensitive posts and misinformation, The Hindu has learnt. On April 24, microblogging website from its platform following orders from the government. The majority of these tweets were critical of the Centre’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as India grappled with a record number of cases amid shortage of beds and medical oxygen. When contacted, an official of the Minister of Electronics and IT (MeitY) said, “The Ministry, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, has asked social media platforms to remove around 100 posts or URLs.”