Kerala Police up vigil on discussions in Clubhouse after 'narcotic jihad' row

The chances of triggering communally sensitive discussions using a fake profile were high, sources told DH

Communally sensitive discussions in the backdrop of a bishop's 'narcotic jihad' comment have prompted the Kerala police to up the vigil on social audio platform Clubhouse.

Police sources told DH that following the 'narcotic jihad' and 'love jihad' remarks of a bishop in the state, communally sensitive discussions were found to be going on quite aggressively among Clubhouse groups. This had triggered concerns over whether extremist elements were misusing the app to disturb the communal harmony of the state. The chances of triggering communally sensitive discussions using a fake profile were also high. Hence the cyber wing of the state police has stepped up its vigil.

Clubhouse was already under the scanner after the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) raised concerns over children being lured to illicit tracks through the social audio chat platform.

Also Read | 10 things to know about ‘Narcotics Jihad’ row

KSCPCR member Nazeer Chaliyam recently directed the police and various agencies of the state government to enhance cyber patrolling and take steps to create awareness among children on the misuse of Clubhouse and its consequences.

Chaliyam said that complaints of children being lured to sexually toned discussions in Clubhouse were coming up and hence urgent measures were required to curb its misuse.

The Cyberdome of Kerala Police had alerted that the use of the app by children may even lead to online predators engaging with children easily and could end up meeting in person as well. Since the recordings in Clubhouse are deleted as each session ends it was difficult for the investigating agencies to ascertain the authenticity of the contents of Clubhouse spread over other social media platforms.

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