Group admins on messaging and social media platforms will be "personally" held responsible for dissemination of misinformation and fake news related to COVID-19 and will be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, as per a prohibitory order issued by DCP Pranaya Ashok of Greater Mumbai on May 23. Admins are now responsible for reporting "malicious, incorrect or derogatory content" posted by a group member to the police immediately. It extends to areas under the control of Commissioner of Police, Greater Mumbai and came into effect at 12:15 am today and will remain in effect until June 8 midnight. This order has been issued under powers issued to an Executive Magistrate via Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code read with the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951. Apart from misinformation and fake news, people are also forbidden from sharing derogatory and discriminatory messages that target a particular community, cause panic and confusion among general public, or incite "mistrust towards government functionaries and their actions taken in order to prevent spread of the COVID-19 virus and thereby cause danger to human health or safety or a disturbance of the public tranquility". "If somebody puts something which is contradicting, and which is a misrepresentation of our efforts, the government body efforts, then you will be taken to task. Or if we are taking some action and he misrepresents it, or he you know tries to provide some information which is not correct and makes it seem like the government is doing nothing,…
