Facebook must demonstrate neutrality with thorough revamp: Cong
New Delhi: The Congress urged social media giant Facebook on Wednesday to demonstrate its neutrality with a thorough revamp of its institutional processes and asked it to outline the steps taken to curb the spread of false, polarising, and hate content on its platform.
The party also welcomed the change in Facebook India's leadership team after its head of policy, Ankhi Das, resigned, but said the matter will not be resolved by just changing one individual.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said Facebook must ensure foolproof checks and balances, which cannot be tinkered by an individual's whims and political leanings.
"The Congress party welcomes the change in Facebook India's leadership team. However, the matter will not be resolved by just changing one individual," Venugopal said in a statement.
"Facebook must demonstrate its neutrality through a thorough revamp of its institutional processes and standard operating procedures, so as to ensure foolproof checks and balances that cannot be tinkered by an individual's whims and political leanings. It must also outline the steps taken to curb false, polarising, and hate news or content, spread rampantly on its platform, threatening India's social harmony," the Congress leader said.
The opposition party had demanded the setting up of a joint parliamentary committee to look into the issue.
It had written to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg after allegations of bias in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by its India operations for not curbing certain hate content posted on the platform by some ruling party members cropped up in the US media.
Facebook had responded to the Congress by reiterating its neutrality and promising due action.
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Online fraud: Hotel chef from Udupi cheated of over Rs 1 lakh by WhatsApp contact
Udupi: Udupi City Police have registered a case of online fraud after a 62-year-old hotel chef was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.13 lakh by a woman who befriended him on WhatsApp, claiming to be based in London.
The victim, identified as Pandu Kariappa Poojary, a resident of Kuthpadi in Udupi, was working at a hotel in Mangaluru.
He reportedly came into contact with a woman identifying herself as Emilda William on WhatsApp. During their interactions, she told Poojary that she planned to start a cosmetics and hotel business in India and would meet him during a visit to Mangaluru.
On April 7, Emilda sent Poojary a flight ticket from London to Delhi via WhatsApp. The following day, Poojary received a phone call from a woman who informed him that Emilda had arrived at Delhi airport carrying a demand draft worth Rs 5 crore along with other items. The caller allegedly asked him to pay Rs 70,000.
Subsequently, Poojary also received a call from Emilda, who was reportedly crying and spoke about the situation. Believing the claims, he transferred a total of Rs 1,13,300 in phases using a scanner. He later realised that he had been cheated.
