New Delhi, September 24: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to submit an affidavit within three weeks for giving a definite timeline to framing statutory guidelines to curb misuse of social media. The top Court said that it is pointless to say that the origin of online crime cannot be traced, adding that, if there is a technology to do it, then there is a technology to stop it. "We can't get away by saying that we don't have a technology to track originators of online crime, if there is a technology to do it, then there is a technology to stop it", the Court said.

The apex Court last week had asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta to take details from the Centre and inform the court on September 24 about the steps the government would take up to curb the issue. The Supreme Court had said that it could step in if there was no action by the government.

In the last week, the Court ordered the Centre to come up with a mechanism to track the origin of objectionable messages on social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter,  YouTube among others. These messages include those that have incited hatred and triggered mob violence and law and order problems across the nation. Aadhaar Linking with Social Media Accounts: Explain Any Plan to Link Facebook, WhatsApp with UIDAI, Supreme Court Tells Government.

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According to Bar and Bench, the Supreme Court said that neither the High Court nor the SC is the right forum to frame guidelines for Facebook - Aadhaar linkage and WhatsApp traceability. It added saying that complex issues like privacy are involved, government should step in and make regulations.

In the last week, a Supreme Court bench had asked the Centre to inform whether it is contemplating any move on framing some policy to regulate social media and linking of social media accounts with Aadhaar by September 24.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2019 01:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).