Remove hate contents, Internet service providers told

The Centre on Friday issued directions to all Internet service providers to disable any inflammatory or hateful content that targets the community for northeastern states.

“Based on complaints regarding content that’s inflammatory, hateful and inciting violence targeting the North-East community, Department of Information Technology (DIT) has issued an advisory to all intermediaries,” Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot told reporters here.

The advisory based on terms and provisions of IT Act and Rules asks them to take action for disabling all such content on priority, the minister said.

Pilot told Deccan Herald that DIT had issued an advisory, based on the terms and provisions of the IT Act, to all internet service providers to disable any inflammatory or hateful content that targets the northeastern people on priority.

“We have issued the advisory based on complaints regarding content that’s inflammatory, hateful and inciting violence targeting North-East community,” he remarked.

The minister pointed out that his ministry was in touch with the home ministry in this regard and has kept a vigil on hateful content. “We have received complaints of pictures being sent through social media about attacks on these communities and we want internet providers to act with a sense of responsibility. We should abide by self regulation. We are not indulging in censorship.”