Karnataka’s approval of the ₹67-crore Social Media Analytics Solution (SMAS) has sparked a major debate over privacy, free speech and state surveillance. Critics warn that without strong legal safeguards and independent oversight, the AI system could be misused to monitor citizens and silence dissent in the name of security. Karnataka’s approval of the ₹67-crore Social Media Analytics Solution (SMAS) has sparked a major debate over privacy, free speech and state surveillance. Critics warn that without strong legal safeguards and independent oversight, the AI system could be misused to monitor citizens and silence dissent in the name of security.