New Delhi warns social media platforms over false airline bomb threats

Irked by hundreds of false bomb threats to the country's airlines, the Indian government has warned social media companies of "consequential action" over the chaos and terror caused by the hoax alarms which it says is a threat to national security. Facing a large number of hoax bomb threats, the country has witnessed planes being diverted to Canada and Germany, and fighter jets scrambled to escort aircraft in the skies above Britain and Singapore.At least 275 bomb threats were made since mid-October, all reported to have been false, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. Other Indian media suggest it could be as high as nearly 400. The government called the spread of the threats "dangerously unrestrained". It warned social media platforms of consequential action as provided under any law if they do not comply with the "prompt removal of misinformation". "The instances of malicious acts, in the form of hoax bomb threats to such airlines, lead to a potential threat to the public order and security of the state," said New Delhi in a statement on Saturday. "Such hoax bomb threats, while affecting a large number of citizens, also destabilise the economic security of the country," added the statement. "The exemption from liability for any third party information [...] shall not apply if such intermediaries do not follow the due diligence obligations," it added.<br/>