Blackmailing By Digital Platforms Like Digital Arrest : CJI Surya Kant

The Chief Justice of India on Friday agreed with a statement made by the Solicitor General of India that some digital platforms act like "blackmailers."

CJI Surya Kant said that such blackmailing is something like "digital arrests."

A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi was hearing a petition seeking to regulate the police act of posting the pictures of accused on their official social media accounts.

Towards the end of the hearing, the discussion veered towards social media use. SG Tushar Mehta said that while most of the mainstream media was broadly acting in a responsible manner, the same cannot be said about social media users and virtual platforms. "Now everyone with a mobile is a media. There are some platforms which exist only virtually, which are blackmailers. Blackmailing is an understatement," SG said.

Agreeing, CJI Surya Kant said, "It is some form of a digital arrest only. Unfortunately, it is not an offence." Justice Bagchi added that "atmosied social media" was a new age challenge.

Recently, the bench led by the CJI had directed the Central Government to identify the social media users and websites which had posted irresponsible content in the wake of the Court's order over the NCERT textbook row.

The CJI had earlier also expressed the need to regulate online media.

As regards the present petition, the Court noted that it had recently directed the States to frame guidelines regarding police media briefings. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, for the petitioner, submitted that the posting of images of the accused being handcuffed, tied by ropes, or beaten, was humiliating. He added that it generated a bias against the accused in the minds of the public and added to the social media trial.

The bench suggested that the petitioner await the outcome of the other matter to see the guidelines framed by the States. Meanwhile, the petiitoner has been granted liberty to amend the petition.

Case : HEMENDRA PATEL Vs UNION OF INDIA | W.P.(C) No. 311/2026