The Supreme Court put the Centre, all States and social media giants like X and Meta on notice. A petition’s landed on their desk, challenging police departments’ habit of posting photos and videos of accused people on their official social media. The heart of the matter? The petitioner wants clear rules to stop police from sharing anything that reveals the identities of accused persons or humiliates them online.
Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, heard the case. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan represented the petitioner.
Plea seeks removal of accused persons’ images
This is not just your average request. The petition calls for immediate action—states should take down any posts on official police accounts that show accused persons’ faces or identities, especially if those images are degrading. Think handcuffed suspects, folks tied up with ropes, beaten with sticks, forced to kneel, or dragged downstairs. The plea’s clear: the police shouldn’t be broadcasting these images or videos on their official channels.
Guidelines sought for police social media posts
Beyond that, the petition wants sweeping guidelines for how police departments use social media. These rules would block police from uploading content that either identifies accused persons or puts them in a humiliating or inhuman position, now and going forward.
Plea also seeks action from Meta platforms
Meta’s platforms, Instagram and Facebook, didn’t go unnoticed either. The petitioner wants them to step up, putting in place real policies and user guidelines that stop this kind of content from spreading. There’s also a push for a proper reporting system, so people can flag offensive content and get it taken down quickly.
Earlier petition was disposed of in March
This whole issue is not new. The same petitioner filed something similar before, which the Supreme Court wrapped up back in March. Back then, the Court pointed out that their earlier orders about police talking to the media should probably cover social media too. The petitioner withdrew, holding the door open to file a broader case later—which brings us to the current petition, lodged by Advocate-on-Record Shrutanjaya Bhardwaj.
Overall, the Supreme Court is now asking some tough questions about police practices online—and wants answers from the country’s top leadership and big tech alike.
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