As unabated bomb threat messages continued to both domestic and international flights for the past eight days, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has blasted on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) and slammed Meta for their roles in facilitating the spread of these hoaxes. According to sources, the government expressed frustration over the X platforms’ lack of control, warning that X’s inaction could amount to “abetting crime”.
In a virtual meeting chaired by Joint Secretary, IT, Sanket S Bhondve with representatives of airlines and social media platforms such as X and Meta, the IT Ministry officials said the situation amounts to “X abetting crime” and questioned its representatives on the steps taken to stop such alarming rumours from spreading.
In the meeting, ministry officials questioned the representatives of the social media entities and questioned them on the steps taken to stop such alarming rumours from spreading, sources said.
The airlines said that they followed standard operating procedures and the authorities were alerted and security protocols were followed.
The microblogging site X was pulled up after the Delhi Police failed to get the details of the user IDs or domain names of a few X accounts that were found to be involved in posting threat messages to flights.
According to sources, at least 11 fake user profiles on social networking site X have been flagged as of now for spreading bomb hoax messages about multiple Indian airlines, which has pushed central security agencies to the edge. However, with more hoax messages coming through social media posts, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), the sources said the number of profiles from which such messages are generated may increase.
Sources added that the messages could have been sent by one person or a gang operating from a highly sophisticated cyber network, said the senior officers involved in the investigation. Multiple central and state teams, including members from the central intelligence gathering units and cybercrime tracking agencies, are now part of the investigation teams.
The online threats created panic among the passengers and set off alarm bells for security agencies. Over the past eight days, more than 150 flights have received fake bomb threats, leading to widespread security concerns and significant operational disruptions. The affected airlines include Akasa, Air India, IndiGo, and Vistara, which operate flights from Delhi to various domestic and international destinations.
The Delhi Police have registered eight cases related to these threats, which originated from anonymous posts on X. According to a senior police official, three specific accounts-@adamlanza111, @psychotichuman, and @schizobomer777-have been identified as key sources of these threatening messages. Despite attempts by law enforcement to trace the user IDs linked to these accounts, the investigation has been hindered by the use of VPNs and the dark web. “The first case was registered on October 16 after a bomb threat targeting a
Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight was received via X,” said the police official, “We suspect the handler used multiple accounts to post these messages.”
The agencies have already suspended around ten social media handles associated with the threats since Monday. These agencies have been identifying common phrases used in the threatening messages, such as “bombs” and “blood will spread everywhere,” as part of their investigative efforts. Meanwhile, the government is considering legislative measures to tighten regulations regarding bomb threats to airlines, including the possibility of placing offenders on a no-fly list.
