The Information Technology Ministry has come down heavily on social media platforms for allegedly abetting crime by not responding to hoax bomb threats. Over the past several days, more than 120 flights operated by Indian airlines have received bomb threats. As recently as yesterday, 30 flights from IndiGo, Vistara, and Air India were affected in New Delhi.
In a virtual meeting led by Joint Secretary Sanket S Bhondve, representatives from airlines and social media companies, including X and Meta, were questioned about their responses to the spread of false information.
Bhondve pointed out that the platform owned by Elon Musk was “abetting crime” by allowing these threats to spread unchecked.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology urged social media platforms to take proactive measures against hoax bomb threats and emphasized the need for clearer takedown actions. In response to the 80 bomb threats received by Indian airlines in just two days, the government is planning legislative measures to punish the offenders.
The government is also considering amendments to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act (SUASCA), 1982. These amendments would allow arrests and investigations without a court order in cases where an aircraft is still on the ground. Proposed changes to aircraft security rules aim to introduce stricter penalties for individuals issuing bomb threats.
On October 22, Indian airlines faced a surge in bomb threats, with nearly 50 flights affected, bringing the total to around 80 incidents in two days. Airlines such as Air India and IndiGo each reported 13 impacted flights, while Akasa Air and Vistara reported over 12 and 11 affected flights, respectively. This follows 30 threats reported on the night of October 21, bringing the total number of bomb threats against Indian flights to over 170 within just over a week.
Airlines have confirmed that they are coordinating with local authorities and following safety protocols. Although the threats have been hoaxes, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has stressed the gravity of the situation.
He assured that the government is addressing the situation while prioritizing passenger safety. He warned that those responsible for spreading hoaxes would face strict consequences, including placement on a no-fly list.