Watch what you post! Soon, govt to install media cell to track, counter negative content online

If you are posting anything negative about the government online, then watch out, you might fall in trouble. The government has decided to lay a special media cell to track and counter negative content online that puts its policies into bad light. 

According to The Indian Express, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCA) has proposed the creation of a National Media Analytics Centre (NMAC) that will monitor and analyse blogs, web portals, TV channels and newspapers as well as social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The NMAC will scrutinize the posts and comments and classify them into three categories- positive, negative, neutral. If your content falls into the negative category, the cell will find out its factual correctness before generating any counters to show resentment. This software designed by Ponnurangam Kumaraguru, an assistant professor at Indraprastha Institute of Information in Delhi will also help the cell with the author's background information, website preferences and his/her areas of interest.

The cell's proposal suggests setting up a committee represented by the ministries of Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, and External Affairs for analysis, coordination, information and feedback on public perception and national security, according to several media reports.