The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a cautionary notice to social media platforms, urging them to strictly follow the Information Technology (IT) Rules and provisions under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) by swiftly removing posts related to bomb threats. Platforms have been warned that failure to comply may lead to losing their safe harbour protection under the IT Act, which currently shields them from being held legally accountable for third-party content on their networks.

MeitY highlighted that hoax bomb threats targeting airlines not only disrupt airport operations but also pose serious security risks for passengers and strain security agencies. “These false alerts affect public order, national security, and economic stability,” the Ministry said. Social media’s forwarding and re-sharing features, it added, have dangerously amplified the reach of such hoaxes, impacting numerous citizens and sectors.

In recent weeks, over 250 flights from major airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, have been impacted by hoax bomb threats—most of which circulated through social media. Beyond airlines, hotels, schools, and other establishments have also reported similar scares.

According to the advisory, social media companies are also expected to provide relevant information to law enforcement agencies within 72 hours. MeitY’s guidelines, based on the 2021 IT Rules, mandate that platforms must respond to official investigative requests promptly, ideally as quickly as possible but no later than the 72-hour deadline.

Earlier this week, hoax bomb threats disrupted operations at Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and Jharsuguda airports. While all airport areas and aircraft were searched according to security protocol, each alert was later confirmed to be a false alarm.