The internet has grown exponentially over the last two decades and has drastically altered many facets of our lives. People all over the world may now access the internet more efficiently. Technology advancement has made greater internet access possible, particularly in fast growing economies like India. The growth of the internet has resulted in the emergence of social media as an essential tool for communication.
Social media has influenced millions of people worldwide by becoming indispensable in the everyday lives of people. Social media has dominated our lives on a daily basis during the last decade. With smartphones becoming less expensive, access to all social media platforms for common people is now easy. The adoption of social media into our livelihood is so overwhelming that many people exist primarily in online worlds. This deep and persistent engagement has created both positive and negative impacts on society.
While access to information has helped people to receive knowledge about anything from anywhere, it has also led to the spread of misinformation. Social media can be a tool for criminals and anti-social elements to spread fake news and disinformation campaigns. The creation and circulation of fake information on social media by mischievous elements by using fake accounts to create an illusion of public consensus towards fake information has now become rampant. Going a step further, advanced artificial intelligence technologies like deep fakes make it impossible to distinguish between real and fake photographs/videos. Cybercriminals have always been the early adopters of these new technologies and create complex challenges for law enforcement agencies to tackle fake news and disinformation.
Social media is an essential tool for law enforcement agencies, especially Police organizations, to connect with the general public. The responsible use of these technologies will help the police identify and mitigate threats, investigate crimes, and effectively respond to emergencies. No other forms of communication can match the speed and reach of social media to connect police and the community. Social media analysis will enable the police to collect and analyze text, photos, videos and other material shared on social media platforms. Social media can also provide one of the easiest and cheapest ways for law enforcement agencies to obtain and access evidence in any event.
Police can leverage social media in the following ways;
- To develop trust and relationships with citizens
- To obtain legitimacy to various policies and actions to bring changes in day-to-day policing, especially in introducing new laws and rules.
- It can be used as an investigative tool to generate investigative leads to identify suspects.
- It can be used to gather intelligence to thwart any untoward societal incidents.
- Social media can be used to improve the image and credibility of police organizations by showcasing transparency.
- It can be used to quickly spread information regarding disasters or provide timely updates during any pandemic to educate citizens and protect life and property.
- It can also provide correct and accurate information about fake news through fact-check technologies.
The biggest challenge for police organizations today is to counter fake news and disinformation campaigns. Towards this, many state police organisations in India have setup Social Media Monitoring Cells and Fact Check Teams. Social Media Monitoring Teams access the information that is public on social media platforms for legitimate purposes. They can also send notices to social media companies and seek information about any content or posts circulated on any social media platforms by following legal processes.
Fact checking and providing accurate information have now become one of the emerging responsibilities of police organisations. Fact check teams deal with fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and hate speeches on any social media platform. These teams verify the authenticity of information/posts, and if found false, correct information is shared with the members of the public on all social media platforms. Dissemination of correct facts helps in maintaining peace and order in society as citizens may not be carried away by disinformation campaigns. This can be achieved through proper coordination with law enforcement agencies and social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Youtube etc. In addition to this, social media companies should also invest efforts in developing tools to identify fake news, misinformation, and disinformation campaigns to improve their online accountability. The academia also has a significant role in performing technical research for law enforcement-specific use of social media analysis tools without compromising individual privacy rights.
Going forward, police organizations in our country can leverage social media platforms to foster good relationships with citizens and enlist their cooperation in maintaining peace and order, preventing and detecting crimes and promoting community participation in law enforcement.