Social Media Monitoring by Police Forces
Police officials emphasize the necessity of dedicated cells to monitor and address evolving crime trends on social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
Growth in Social Media Monitoring Cells
- The number of dedicated social media monitoring cells increased from 262 in January 2020 to 365 by January 2024 across 28 States and eight Union Territories.
- States with the highest number of operational cells include:
- Bihar: 52 cells
- Maharashtra: 50 cells
- Punjab: 48 cells
- West Bengal: 38 cells
- Assam: 37 cells
- Significant expansions noted in:
- Manipur: from 3 to 16 cells despite internet suspensions in 2023.
- Assam: from 1 cell in 2022 to 37 in 2024.
- West Bengal: from 2 to 38 cells.
- Punjab: doubled from 24 to 48 cells between 2022 and 2024.
Shift in Monitoring Structure
Until 2021, social media monitoring cells were not separately counted or were part of cybercrime police stations. They began distinct operations based on Data on Police Organisations (DoPO) reports from 2020-2024.
DoPO Reports
- Prepared by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- The number of cybercrime police stations increased from 376 in 2020 to 624 in 2024.
Technological and Personnel Updates
- Drones:
- The number of drones with police forces increased from 1,010 in 2023 to 1,147 in 2024.
- Vacancies and Personnel:
- 5,92,839 police vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 27,55,274.
- Current personnel include:
- Scheduled Castes: 3,30,621
- Scheduled Tribes: 2,31,928
- Other Backward Classes: 6,37,774
