Facebook Content Has Potential To Polarise Society: Supreme Court

New Delhi: At a time when the Central government is at loggerheads with social media platforms like Twitter over its new IT rules, the Supreme Court made a significant observation on Thursday. It noted that social media platforms have the power and potential to influence people within and outside the country, as well as polarise society through users’ posts.

The apex court, delivering its verdict on Delhi assembly panel’s summons to Facebook India head Ajit Mohan in connection with the 2020 riots case, said the common man does not have the wherewithal to verify contents that have been posted on these social media platforms by other users, reported ANI.

The Supreme Court dismissed Mohan’s plea and said it was pre-mature as nothing had happened against him before the Delhi Assembly panel.

Mohan and others had filed a petition challenging the summons issued by Delhi Assembly’s Peace and Harmony committee for failing to appear before it as witness in the north-east Delhi violence matter. The three-member bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy had reserved its verdict on February 24.

The panel is investigating Facebook’s alleged role in allowing spread of alleged hate speeches during the Delhi riots in February 2020.