{"id":63548,"date":"2026-01-06T19:45:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=63548"},"modified":"2026-01-09T13:15:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T07:45:50","slug":"social-media-monitoring-cells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-01-2026\/social-media-monitoring-cells","title":{"rendered":"Rise in Police Social Media Monitoring Cells Across India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>States across India have witnessed a steady rise in the use of <strong>Social Media Monitoring Cells (SMMCs)<\/strong> by state police forces to counter misinformation, maintain law and order, and pre-empt digital threats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Findings, based on data collected between 2019 and 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Expanding Digital Surveillance in Policing: <\/strong>The number of <strong>dedicated social media monitoring cells<\/strong> has risen from <strong>262 as of January 1, 2020<\/strong>, to <strong>365 as of January 1, 2024<\/strong>, a nearly <strong>40% increase<\/strong> in just four years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>States Leading in Social Media Surveillance:<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>As of 2024, <strong>Bihar (52)<\/strong>, <strong>Maharashtra (50)<\/strong>, <strong>Punjab (48)<\/strong>, <strong>West Bengal (38)<\/strong>, and <strong>Assam (37)<\/strong> have the highest number of operational social media monitoring cells.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rapid Expansion in Conflict and Sensitive Regions:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manipur: 3 in 2020 to 16 in 2024<\/strong>, despite facing an <strong>Internet suspension<\/strong> lasting nearly <strong>140 days in 2023<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assam<\/strong>: 1 cell in 2022 to 37 in 2024<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>West Bengal:<\/strong> 2 cells in 2022 to 38 in 2024<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Punjab<\/strong>: 24 cells in 2022 to 48 in 2024<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Institutionalization of Monitoring Cells: <\/strong>Social media monitoring was often conducted informally or within <strong>cybercrime police stations<\/strong> before 2021.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, since 2021, these units have been <strong>recognized as distinct operational entities<\/strong> in the DoPO reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Parallel Growth in Cybercrime Infrastructure:<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>The <strong>expansion of monitoring cells<\/strong> has occurred alongside the growth in <strong>cybercrime police stations<\/strong>, which increased from <strong>376 in 2020<\/strong> to <strong>624 in 2024<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It underscores the escalating complexity of digital offenses and the necessity of specialized responses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Modernization of Policing Tools: <\/strong>The number of <strong>drones<\/strong> available with police forces rose from <strong>1,010 in 2023<\/strong> to <strong>1,147 in 2024<\/strong>, indicating the increasing use of aerial surveillance and crowd management tools.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&amp;D) attributes the above expansion to the <strong>Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF) Scheme<\/strong>, under which the <strong>central government allocates funds <\/strong>for upgrading technology infrastructure and capacity-building in law enforcement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF) Scheme<\/strong><br><br>&#8211; Launched By: <strong>Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) <\/strong>in <strong>1969\u201370<\/strong>; Recent expansions in the <strong>2017\u20132025 period<\/strong>.<br><strong>Funding Pattern:<\/strong><br>&#8211; For <strong>Union Territories<\/strong>: <strong>100% Central<\/strong> Fund<br>&#8211; For <strong>North-Eastern and Himalayan States:<\/strong> <strong>Centre (90%)<\/strong>; <strong>State (10%)<\/strong><br>&#8211; For <strong>Other States: Centre (60%)<\/strong>; <strong>State (40%)<\/strong><br><br><strong>Key Components:<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Procurement of Modern Weapons and Equipment:<\/strong> Upgrading firearms, protective gear, drones, and surveillance systems.<br>&#8211; <strong>Mobility Support:<\/strong> Vehicles for law and order, emergency response, and border security.<br>&#8211; <strong>Communication Systems:<\/strong> Integration with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network &amp; Systems (CCTNS).<br>&#8211; <strong>Forensic Support and Training:<\/strong> Strengthening state forensic labs and cyber labs.<br>&#8211; <strong>Infrastructure Upgrades:<\/strong> Police stations, housing, and offices.<br>&#8211; <strong>Special Focus Areas:<\/strong> LWE-affected (Left Wing Extremism) regions, NE states, and Jammu &amp; Kashmir.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Operational Framework of SMMCs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SMMCs generally function at the <strong>district or range level<\/strong>, often under the supervision of <strong>Cyber Cells or Special Branch units<\/strong>. Their primary objectives include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitoring posts that may disturb <strong>public order or communal harmony<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Detecting <strong>cyberbullying, online fraud, and misinformation campaigns<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generating \u2018trend reports\u2019 and <strong>sentiment analyses<\/strong> for senior officers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coordinating with social media companies for <strong>content takedown or user identification<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Positive Outcomes of SMMCs:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Countering misinformation<\/strong> during public crises, such as COVID-19 or natural disasters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tracking online radicalization<\/strong> and terror propaganda.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Preventing mob violence<\/strong> incited by fake news or doctored videos.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assisting investigations<\/strong> into cyber fraud, trafficking, and scams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some states like <strong>Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka<\/strong> have developed <strong>advanced monitoring setups<\/strong> that use <strong>AI-assisted analytics<\/strong> to detect online anomalies in real time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns &amp; Related Issues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Oversight and Privacy: <\/strong>SMMCs raise <strong>serious privacy and accountability questions<\/strong>. Such monitoring often occurs <strong>without judicial oversight or public transparency<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Instances have emerged where users were <strong>summoned or booked for critical posts<\/strong>, sometimes under <strong>ambiguous sections of the IT Act or IPC<\/strong>, blurring the line between legitimate monitoring and censorship.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Persistent Workforce Shortage: <\/strong>India\u2019s police forces continue to face a <strong>large manpower deficit<\/strong>, despite infrastructural and technological advances.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It presents challenges in implementing and maintaining the expanding technological infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: Balancing Technology with Accountability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India needs a <strong>clear legal framework<\/strong> for digital policing, one that balances technological capability with democratic safeguards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recommendations include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establishing <strong>independent oversight committees<\/strong> for SMMCs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Introducing <strong>transparency reports<\/strong> to track data usage and content flagging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aligning police monitoring with the principles of <strong>necessity, proportionality, and legality<\/strong> as laid down in the <strong><em>Puttaswamy (2017)<\/em><\/strong><strong> privacy judgment.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/police-social-media-monitoring-cells-rise-from-262-to-365-in-four-years\/article70474620.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">States across India have witnessed a steady rise in the use of Social Media Monitoring Cells (SMMCs) by state police forces to counter misinformation, maintain law and order, and pre-empt digital threats.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Key Findings, based on data collected between 2019 and 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Expanding Digital Surveillance in Policing: The number of dedicated social media monitoring cells has risen from 262 as of January 1, 2020, to 365 as of January 1, 2024, a nearly 40% increase in just four years.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> States Leading in Social Media Surveillance:As of 2024, Bihar (52), Maharashtra (50), Punjab (48), West Bengal (38), and Assam (37) have the highest number of operational social media monitoring cells. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-01-2026\/social-media-monitoring-cells\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63548"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63559,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63548\/revisions\/63559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}