News Brief
Bid To Shift Blame For Failure? INDI Bloc Writes To Facebook And Google CEOs, Demands Platforms' Neutrality During Polls
Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg.
As India approaches its upcoming elections, concerns have risen about the impact of social media platforms.
The INDI Alliance parties are worried about the behaviour of tech giants like Meta (formerly Facebook) and YouTube, as reported by The Times Of India.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO, and Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, citing The Washington Post's investigations.
These investigations suggest that these platforms may have fuelled social tensions and communal hatred in India.
In his letter to Zuckerberg, Kharge refers to The Washington Post's findings, accusing Meta of showing bias in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The INDI coalition has urged Meta to remain neutral in the run-up to the crucial 2024 national elections, emphasising the importance of not contributing to social unrest or undermining India's democratic principles.
Similarly, the letter to Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, highlights concerns from The Washington Post's article, "He live-streamed his attacks on Indian Muslims. YouTube gave him an award." The article allegedly showed how some BJP members and supporters used YouTube to spread divisive content.
The letter also points to compelling evidence of algorithmic moderation favouring the ruling party while suppressing content from the opposition.
The INDI Alliance urged Google to ensure impartiality on its platforms, emphasising the need to prevent social unrest.
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