The government has asked social media platforms Meta and X to share data about hoax bomb threat messages to airlines and has started identifying those behind such activities, even as more than 80 flights received the threats on Thursday.Sources in the know said the government has also asked top multinational technology conglomerates to cooperate with it in helping identify those behind such hoax calls, saying this involves public good.
In 11 days, more than 250 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received bomb threats. Most of the threats were issued through social media.
According to the top government sources, the government has traced some of the culprits and that action is being taken accordingly.
However, they did not provide specific details like from where these hoax messages came from and who were behind them.
“The government has told social media companies Meta and X to share data pertaining to such hoax calls and messages made on their platforms targeting several airlines and asked them to cooperate,” one of the sources said.
The source also said “they will have to cooperate and provide data since this involves public good at large”. This was in response to a query on whether the social media companies are cooperating with the government or not on the issue.
More than 80 domestic and international flights of various Indian airlines received bomb threats on Thursday, sources said.