New Delhi: The Opposition INDIA bloc, which is determined to remove BJP from power, has urged Facebook and Google to ensure neutrality of operations of their social media platforms in India vis-à-vis next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Fourteen leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, have written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai pointing out that blatant bias towards one political formation tantamount to interference in India’s democracy.
Referring to recent reports in the Washington Post, the INDIA leaders have written to Zuckerberg and Pichai that Facebook and YouTube are “aiding the communal hatred campaign of the ruling BJP.”
“In another article titled ‘Under India’s pressure, Facebook let propaganda and hate speech thrive’, the Post has elucidated with evidence the blatant partisanship by Facebook India executives towards the ruling dispensation. This was well known to us in the Opposition for a long time and have even raised it several times in the past,” the letter to Zuckerberg said.
The Opposition has data that shows “algorithmic moderation and suppression of Opposition leaders’ content on your platform while also promoting ruling party content,” the INDIA leaders wrote.
“Such blatant partisanship and bias towards one political formation by a private foreign company is tantamount to interfering in India’s democracy, one that we in the INDIA alliance will not take lightly. In light of the upcoming national elections in 2024, it is our earnest and urgent plea to you to consider these facts seriously and ensure immediately that Meta’s operations in India remain neutral and are not used wittingly or unwittingly to cause social unrest or distort India’s much cherished democratic ideals,” the letter said.
INDIA block leaders brought to Pichai’s notice that the Washington Post also reported how YouTube awarded a social media influencer who live-streamed his attack on Indian Muslims.
“Specifically, the article cites details of how this vile, communally divisive propaganda is carried out using YouTube by BJP members and supporters,” stated the letter to Pichai.
Kharge and Pawar apart, the letters were signed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Derek O’Brien of Trinamool Congress, JD(U) chief Lalan Singh, TR Balu of DMK, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, Omar Abdullah (National Conference) and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
