Pune police inaugurates social media lab

The Pune police have inaugurated the Social Media Lab that will help monitor issues related unlawful practices and activities occurring taking place on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube among other sites as well as other websites on the internet.

The police have termed the lab as an important instrument step that will help them keep an eye on issues being discussed among the youth on the internet as well as bridge the gap between public expectations of the public and delivery of police services in the social media domain.

Inaugurating the 24x7 lab, City Police Commissioner KK Pathak said, “The new lab, comprising 18 policemen under Senior Inspector Sunil Pawar of the Cyber Crime Cell, will work round the clock in three shifts similar the police control room. We have trained policemen on how monitor the movements of suspicious people on social media over the past two months. In cases of hate speech, we will take prompt action, like deleting internet sites, before complaints are received from the public. We will also consider inputs received from the government and public.”

Further, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) CH Wakade added, “The lab will extract secret and intelligence information from social media sites prevent law and order problems, terrorism and help maintaining peace in Pune district. The lab can block internet sites if there is a fear that its contents are objectionable. Back in 2014, the Cyber Crime Cell had earlier deleted 65 internet websites after the murder of IT Manager Mohsin Shaikh in Hadapsar way.”

The software being developed currently includes certain key words and complex algorithms normally used for illegal practices and activities taking place on the internet. The software has been of its kinds is developed by Harold D’costa of Intelligent Quotient Security System-Pune that an organization specializes in cyber security and cyber law domain.

Senior Inspector Pawar said, “In the last decade, social media has flourished immensely the next level. The use of social media has been seen as a boon as well as a bane in certain context. An increasing number of social media sites have also given rise unlawful and illegal activities taking place. The software will monitor such type of activities as well as taking place and also alert the cops to maintain proper law and order situation. The software will be able to track illegal activities taking place on the social media as well as pin point the origin of such type of messages and the communication being broadcasted.”

Officials aims the cops shall also regulate policies and procedures from time to time and ensure that it make citizens aware of the dos and don’ts that help and use the social media in a transparent and holistic manner.

He said, “Although the Social Media Lab will track illegal activities taking place online, it will not interfere with the barge in the privacy issues of an individual. It will only make the cyber space a reliable place for faster and reliable communication. On finding any suspicious activities, it will take immediate steps against the offender and curb the damage taking place. Off late, the internet is increasingly being used via media spread rumors, hate messages, and even Ponzi and financial fraud. The Social Media Lab will take cognizance of such types of issues and take legal action against the misuse of internet in the common interest of the people and citizens,” Pawar added.

The lab has a dedicated workforce of personnel and a subject-matter expert who will constantly make changes to the software to keep in tune with the latest trends. It shall work round the clock and shall have the latest techniques monitoring the social media. The police officers shall be trained periodically and made aware to capture the digital footprints of those perpetrating an online crime, the fishmonger and the criminals at large,” Pawar added.