MLA Waheed Para Questions Government Over Revival of Social Media Monitoring Policy

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL 

SRINAGAR NOV 05:-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para has questioned the Jammu and Kashmir administration over what he described as the “revival of social media monitoring policy” following the circulation of a document by the Office of the District Information Officer, Shopian.

The document, titled Annexure “A”, lists a detailed checklist of documents required from media persons for “authentication,” including Aadhaar, PAN card, appointment letters, salary statements, academic certificates, and links to their social media pages such as Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Para expressed concern that such measures reflect an attempt to impose “bureaucratic surveillance” on journalists and digital content creators, saying that the move undermines media freedom in Jammu and Kashmir.

He urged the government to clarify the purpose and legal basis of collecting such personal and professional data from journalists, calling it “a regressive step that discourages independent reporting and the role of free media in a democracy.”

The document from the Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) has sparked debate within the media fraternity, with many questioning whether it amounts to reintroducing the social media monitoring mechanisms that had previously drawn criticism from journalist bodies and rights groups.