Kerala Human Rights Panel Demands Report on Social Media Sharing of Aid Recipients' Photos
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the state government to submit a detailed report within three weeks regarding the widespread practice of photographing and filming individuals receiving charitable assistance and subsequently sharing those images on social media. The Commission observed that this trend constitutes a violation of privacy and human rights.
In its directive, the Commission instructed the Chief Secretary to explain the existing measures to address the issue, whether any official guidelines have been issued, and what further action the government proposes to take. The case will be considered at the Commission's upcoming sitting in Kannur.
The direction followed a complaint filed by Zaheer Chalil under the campaign ‘Sneham Social Mediakku Vendi’. The complaint alleged that photographs and videos of people receiving various forms of aid are frequently shared on social media without their explicit consent. Such practices, the complaint argued, infringe upon the recipients' privacy and their constitutional right to live with dignity.
The complaint further stated that the fear of having their images circulated online discourages many genuinely needy individuals from accepting assistance. While charitable initiatives should continue to address hunger and hardship, they must also safeguard the dignity and privacy of beneficiaries, it said.
The petitioner also urged the Commission to examine the growing trend of using people's distress for social media publicity and to initiate appropriate action.
