The Indian government has ramped up efforts to identify those behind the recent hoax bomb calls to the airline industry and has urged major social media platforms, including Meta and X, to share data related to such incidents.
Sources within the government told The Economic Times that social media giants have been instructed to provide user data connected to the hoax messages, many of which were sent through these platforms.
Authorities are working closely with multinational tech companies to track down individuals responsible for the threats. The government is pushing for enhanced cooperation to help reduce similar incidents in the future.
While specifics about the locations or identities of suspects remain under wraps, some progress has been made in tracking certain individuals responsible for issuing hoax threats.
The targeted bomb threats have impacted several airlines, and in recent weeks, domestic and international flights have faced significant disruptions. Police and security teams were placed on high alert after an anonymous call threatened Dumna Airport in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, though the threat was later dismissed as a hoax.
On Tuesday alone, over 50 flights were affected by bomb threats, including those operated by prominent airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air, and Vistara. Similar threats disrupted nearly 30 flights on Monday, prompting heightened security and several flight diversions.
In the past week, bomb threats have targeted more than 170 flights across major Indian carriers, primarily conveyed through social media channels.
A senior government official emphasised the importance of data sharing in such situations, framing it as a matter of public good. “They will have to cooperate and provide data since this involves the public good at large,” the official said.
This incident highlights the increasing misuse of social media to threaten a sovereign nation.
In the News: Data breach hits Esport North Africa, 180,000 records at risk
