Q.20. Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem. [UPSC 2024 GS P-3]

Social media platforms and encrypted messaging services present significant security challenges due to their potential use in spreading misinformation, organizing illegal activities, and enabling terrorist communications. The rise of these technologies has necessitated various responses at national and international levels to address their security implications. Governments, law enforcement agencies, and tech companies have adopted several measures to tackle these threats while balancing user privacy and freedom of expression.

Measures Adopted to Address the Security Implications of Social Media

1. Regulatory Frameworks and Legal Measures

• IT Rules 2021 (India): The Indian government introduced new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules to regulate social media platforms and digital content. These rules:
  • Mandate traceability for messages, requiring social media platforms to identify the first originator of harmful content.
  • Require platforms to appoint compliance officers, grievance redressal officers, and nodal officers to respond to government requests within 24 hours.
  • Empower authorities to take down harmful content such as fake news, child pornography, and hate speech.
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU): The GDPR regulates the use of personal data by social media platforms, ensuring that companies are transparent about data collection and processing. It enhances security by holding platforms accountable for data breaches and misuse of user data.
• US Section 230 Reform Discussions: The United States has debated reforms to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects social media companies from liability for content posted by users. Proposed reforms aim to make platforms more responsible for curbing harmful content, such as disinformation and extremist propaganda.

2. Content Moderation and Monitoring

• Automated Content Moderation: Social media companies, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, have developed algorithms and AI-based tools to identify and remove harmful content, such as extremist speech, misinformation, and child exploitation material. These tools flag content for human review or automatically remove it based on predefined criteria.
• Fact-checking and Countering Misinformation: Platforms are collaborating with third-party fact-checkers to identify and label false or misleading information, especially during sensitive periods like elections or public health crises (e.g., during the COVID-19 pandemic).
• Collaborations with Law Enforcement: Social media platforms often work closely with law enforcement agencies to monitor and report suspicious activities. Many governments require platforms to share metadata related to suspected criminal activities, while still complying with privacy laws.

3. Encryption Policies and Backdoors

• Debates over Encryption Backdoors: Law enforcement agencies around the world have called for the creation of backdoors in encryption technologies to access communications of suspected criminals and terrorists. For instance, encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal use end-to-end encryption, which makes it difficult for authorities to access content even with a court order.
• India’s IT Rules require social media companies to enable the tracing of the origin of encrypted messages to identify those spreading harmful content. This puts pressure on platforms to strike a balance between security needs and privacy concerns.
• Five Eyes Alliance: The intelligence-sharing alliance between the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand has urged tech companies to allow lawful access to encrypted content, advocating for cooperation between governments and the private sector to counter terrorist activities on encrypted platforms.

4. Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Measures

• Cybersecurity Awareness Campaigns: Governments and organizations run public awareness campaigns to educate users about online security risks, phishing attacks, and best practices for safeguarding their data and social media accounts from hacking.
• Cybersecurity Policies: Countries have developed national cybersecurity frameworks that include social media security strategies. For example, the National Cyber Security Policy (India) and the National Cyber Strategy (UK) outline measures for defending critical infrastructure and combatting cybercrime originating from social media platforms.

5. International Cooperation

• Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF): Countries collaborate through platforms like the GCTF, sharing intelligence and best practices to prevent the spread of terrorism via social media. They work together to combat extremist propaganda and recruitment efforts online.
• Christchurch Call to Action: After the Christchurch terrorist attack in 2019, countries and tech companies agreed to the Christchurch Call to Action, which promotes cooperation between governments and social media platforms to eliminate terrorist and extremist content.

Suggested Remedies to Address the Problem

1. Stronger Encryption Policy Guidelines:
   • A balanced approach is needed to regulate encryption while protecting individual privacy. Governments could mandate secure access mechanisms where only judicial oversight allows access to encrypted content. Collaboration between tech companies and law enforcement is essential to prevent misuse while safeguarding privacy rights.
2. Enhanced Algorithm Transparency:
   • Social media companies should make their content moderation algorithms more transparent to allow scrutiny of how they handle harmful content. Independent audits of these algorithms can ensure they are not biased and are effectively removing extremist material without curbing free speech unnecessarily.
3. Greater Use of AI and Machine Learning:
   • Developing more sophisticated AI tools to detect and block harmful content in real time could further reduce the spread of misinformation and extremist propaganda. These tools should be trained to identify subtle variations of harmful speech and imagery to ensure content moderation is effective.
4. Digital Literacy Programs:
   • Governments and tech companies should invest in digital literacy programs to educate the public on responsible social media use, identifying fake news, and avoiding harmful content. This would empower users to critically evaluate the content they consume and share, reducing the spread of misinformation.
5. International Legal Framework:
   • A global treaty or international framework on cyber governance, similar to the Paris Agreement on climate change, could address the issue of social media regulation. Countries could agree on common standards for encryption, content moderation, and sharing information with law enforcement, while respecting individual privacy rights.
6. Penalties for Non-compliance:
   • Governments should impose fines or sanctions on social media platforms that fail to remove harmful content or comply with national security regulations. Such penalties could encourage companies to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing security concerns.
7. Promote Digital Sovereignty:
   • Countries could develop their own secure and private messaging platforms to reduce reliance on foreign services like WhatsApp and Signal, which may not fully comply with national security requirements. This ensures greater control over data security and national interest concerns.

Conclusion

Social media and encrypted messaging services are essential parts of modern communication but present significant security challenges, including the spread of misinformation, terrorism, and illegal activities. Measures like stricter regulation, improved content moderation, and international cooperation have been adopted to mitigate these risks. Moving forward, more transparent algorithms, enhanced digital literacy, and a balanced approach to encryption can help ensure that social media platforms remain safe while protecting privacy and freedom of expression.