HC upholds ban on social media use by def staff

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday upheld the ban on social media for defence personnel, observing that it is a policy decision by the government based on feedback that social media usage by the Army can give the enemy an edge, reports Abhinav Garg. A bench of justices Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Asha Menon passed the order while dismissing a petition by Lt Col PK Choudhary, which challenged the ban on accessing Facebook and Twitter.
The bench said that “if the government, after complete assessment, has concluded that permitting use of certain social networking websites by personnel of its defence forces is enabling the enemy countries to gain an edge, the courts would be loath to interfere.” It also said that it does not appreciate the pleadings from a senior officer in the Army.