After 14 Rumour-Based Lynchings In 2 Months Govt Acts, Warns WhatsApp From Spreading Messages

After months of rumour-linked lynchings across India, this is what the government has done so far to protect its citizens -- choosing to blast an Internet app for not doing enough.

Let that sink in for a minute. Think about all the lives lost because of instant mob justice over the past two months, in a country like ours which likes to believe in the power of its institutions and rule of law. All due to a few random messages circulated on a messaging app which leads to deadly consequences. Now ask yourself who's truly at fault here.

reuters

In a nightmarish scenario of technology being misused for all the wrong reasons, the spread of rumours on WhatsApp has led to lynchings in different parts of India. Not one or two here and there, but several, and there seems to be no end in sight.

After two men were hacked to death in Tripura, eleven lynchings have taken place over the past two months alone. All due to rumours spread on WhatsApp. Now the government is stepping in to force WhatsApp's hand on the problem.

Reuters

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In a strong-worded response, the Ministry Of Electronics And Information Technology has warned WhatsApp of making sure it stops the spread of false, misleading and explosive rumours that are inciting people to violence.

WhatsApp -- which is owned by Facebook -- has been asked by the government to immediately stop the spread of "irresponsible and explosive messages filled with rumours and provocation" through the application of appropriate technology.

ALSO READ: How WhatsApp Rumours Of Child Traffickers Led To Two Mob Lynchings in 24 Hours In Tamil Nadu

"While the law and order machinery is taking steps to apprehend the culprits, the abuse of platform like WhatsApp for repeated circulation of such provocative content are equally a matter of deep concern," the government said in its statement.

The government further made it clear in no uncertain terms that "WhatsApp cannot evade responsibility specially when good technological inventions are abused by some miscreants who resort to provocative messages which lead to spread of violence."

ALSO READ: This Is How You Can Stop The Spread Of Rumours On WhatsApp And Help Save Someone's Life

Responding to the government's warning and concern, WhatsApp said that it doesn't want its services to be used for "spreading harmful misinformation and believe this is a challenge that companies and societies should address." WhatsApp, which has over 20 crore active users in India, further said that it'll find ways to alert its users of fake or hoax messages on the platform, so that people could spot them easily and don't let hate get the better of them.

According to several reports, at least 31 people have been killed over the last one year in 10 different states by lynch mobs fuelled by WhatsApp rumours.

With inputs from ET