INDIA bloc writes to Facebook, Google CEOs, demands platforms' neutrality during polls
New Delhi (PTI): The opposition INDIA bloc has written to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai over their social media platforms' alleged role in "aiding communal hatred" in the country and demanded that the platforms maintain neutrality in the upcoming elections.
The letters came after the Washington Post newspaper flagged alleged bias of Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube towards the ruling BJP and the Narendra Modi dispensation.
Sharing the letter to Zuckerberg on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Letter by INDIA parties to Facebook's Mr. Mark Zuckerberg (@finkd) citing the exhaustive investigations by the Washington Post that Meta is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India."
"INDIA parties also write to Google's Mr. Sundar Pichai on exhaustive investigation by the Washington Post that Alphabet and specifically YouTube is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India," he said in another post while sharing the letter to Pichai.
In the letter to Zuckerberg, the opposition parties have said that the India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is an alliance of 28 political parties in India that represent the combined opposition coalition and are the ruling alliance in 11 states and represent nearly half of all Indian voters.
"You may be aware of the recent exposes by the Washington Post newspaper about the role of WhatsApp and Facebook in aiding the communal hatred campaign of the ruling BJP. Specifically, the article cites details of how this vile, communally divisive propaganda is carried out using WhatsApp groups by BJP members and supporters.
"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 INDIA bloc parties said.
"It is very clear from these exhaustive investigations by the Washington Post that Meta is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India. Further, we have data that shows algorithmic moderation and suppression of Opposition leaders' content on your platform while also promoting ruling party content," they said in the letter sent by AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal.
The opposition bloc demanded that Meta's operations in India remain neutral.
"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," the letter further said.
"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," it stated.
They said that it was ironical that the parties had to write the letter in the birth anniversary month of Mahatma gandhi, the greatest champion of non-violence and social harmony in history.
The parties expressed confidence that Zuckerberg and Meta also yearn for a harmonious India that the Mahatma wished for.
In their letter to Google's Pichai, they said the recent expose by the Washington Post newspaper titled "He live-streamed his attacks on Indian Muslims. YouTube gave him an award" about the role of YouTube in propagating communal hatred and dividing Indian society.
"Specifically, the article cites details of how this vile, communally divisive propaganda is carried out using YouTube by BJP members and supporters.
"It is very clear from this exhaustive investigation by the Washington Post that Alphabet and specifically YouTube is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India.
"Further, we have data that shows algorithmic moderation and suppression of Opposition leaders' content on your platform while also promoting ruling party content," they said.
The INDIA parties also urged Google that its platforms operating in India remain neutral and are not used to cause social unrest or distort India's much cherished democratic ideals, especially during the upcoming elections.
INDIA parties also write to @Google's Mr. @sundarpichai exhaustive investigation by the Washington Post that Alphabet and specifically YouTube is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 12, 2023
[Letter Below] pic.twitter.com/athxCwukl1
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Putin apologises to Azerbaijani leader for 'tragic incident' involving crashed Azerbaijani plane
Moscow, Dec 28: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.
The plane was flying on Wednesday from Azerbaijan's capital of Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, when it turned toward Kazakhstan and crashed while making an attempt to land. There were 29 survivors.
In an official statement Saturday, the Kremlin said air defence systems were firing near Grozny on Wednesday due to a Ukrainian drone strike, but stopped short of saying one of these hit the plane.
On Friday, a US official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon.
