Government issues guidelines for sharing sensitive data on social media

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued guidelines asking security personals against online sharing of pictures. The Ministry has warned that strict action will be taken against those who disregard the directives.

Home Ministry has taken stock of reports that operational details of the Indian Army and anti-terror operations have been obtained by ISI with the help of malware-laced on different applications. Strict guidelines have been given to security personnel to regulate the sharing of sensitive and secret operational and service data of troops and officers of the paramilitary and military forces on internet based platforms.

The directives warned that sharing or divulging in the social media without permission from competent authority would contravene the National Information Security Policy guidelines issued by the MHA and the government. Strict action will be taken against people who infringe or break these guidelines.

The order adds that it has come to notice that mobile phones and cameras were used for operational coverage and sensitive material was uploaded on social media without permission from competent authorities. Different central police forces like the CRPF, SSB, CISF, ITBP, BSF and the NSG have been included in the purview of the directives.

All the interaction with the social media about operations will pass through the official handles of the security agencies or will be released to the press directly. In the past, sensitive information has found a way to different social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Henceforth the videos, texts, pictures and other information related to anti-insurgency operations, troop movements, etc. will be released only by DG of these security agencies. The ministry has also pulled up the Fourth Estate for relaying live coverage of sensitive anti-terror operations.

The role of media came into sharp focus in the Mumbai Terror attack when it was revealed that the handlers of the terrorists were getting the latest information through live coverage of the event on Indian Television Channels.