<p>The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has withdrawn the move to establish a social media communication hub for analysing online activities of citizens.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Attorney General K K Venugopal informed a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that the government has taken a decision and the notification was being withdrawn.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He submitted before the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, the government would review the social media policy. He also said the PIL has become infructuous.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Taking note of the submission, the court disposed of the petition filed by TMC MLA Mahua Moitra.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The move by the NDA government comes weeks after the apex court took strong exception to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's decision in April, saying it would be "like creating a surveillance state". The court had earlier also asked if the government wanted to tap citizens' WhatsApp messages.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The decision by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry was to "monitor and collect digital media chatter” from all core social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter “to give a positive slant” to news and discussions for India and inculcate “nationalistic feelings in the masses”.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL), a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the ministry, had floated a tender to supply a software for the project. The tender was to be opened on August 20.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The petitioner claimed it will be a breach of privacy of an individual. Under the project, people, right up to the district level, will be monitored, she said.</p>
<p>The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has withdrawn the move to establish a social media communication hub for analysing online activities of citizens.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Attorney General K K Venugopal informed a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that the government has taken a decision and the notification was being withdrawn.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He submitted before the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, the government would review the social media policy. He also said the PIL has become infructuous.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Taking note of the submission, the court disposed of the petition filed by TMC MLA Mahua Moitra.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The move by the NDA government comes weeks after the apex court took strong exception to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's decision in April, saying it would be "like creating a surveillance state". The court had earlier also asked if the government wanted to tap citizens' WhatsApp messages.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The decision by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry was to "monitor and collect digital media chatter” from all core social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter “to give a positive slant” to news and discussions for India and inculcate “nationalistic feelings in the masses”.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL), a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the ministry, had floated a tender to supply a software for the project. The tender was to be opened on August 20.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The petitioner claimed it will be a breach of privacy of an individual. Under the project, people, right up to the district level, will be monitored, she said.</p>
