India has lambasted X, previously known as Twitter, after a series of hoax bomb threats to several airlines were posted through the microblogging platform.
In a virtual meeting with social media platforms X and Meta, Joint Secretary Sanket S Bhondve said that the situation amounts to “X abetting crime” and questioned its representatives on the steps it has taken to stop such alarming rumours from spreading, media reports said.
More than 120 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats over the past few days.
On Tuesday, 30 flights operated by IndiGo, Vistara, and Air India again received such threats.
The airlines said they followed standard operating procedures which included informing the authorities and implementing security protocols.
During a media briefing on the situation on Monday, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the government is trying to handle the situation without compromising passengers’ safety.
He said that those circulating such hoax threats will face tough action, including being put on a no-fly list.
The government intends to amend the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act so that action can be initiated for offences when an aircraft is on the ground.
“We are trying to make amendments and the legal team has worked on it… We need consultations with other ministries also… we are definitely pushing forward to have changes in the Act also so that it addresses offences that happen when the flight is on the ground and also make it cognizable offence,” he said.
