INDIA Alliance Demands Meta's Neutrality Ahead Of 2024 Indian Elections

SUMMARY

INDIA wrote to Zuckerberg following a few news reports by the Washington Post, where the publication claimed to have found evidences of Meta supporting BJP’s political propaganda

The political alliance in its letter asked Zuckerberg to consider the allegations seriously

The alliance also asked the internet giant to ensure that its India operations remain neutral, particularly ahead of the upcoming national elections

The India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), an alliance of 28 Indian political parties, has written to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg against WhatsApp’s and Facebook’s alleged involvement in “aiding the communal hatred campaign of the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)”.

They wrote to Zuckerberg following a few news reports by the Washington Post, where the publication claimed to have found evidence of Meta supporting BJP’s political propaganda.

“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 filed ‘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,” the INDIA letter said.

“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,” it added.

Besides, the alliance also asked Zuckerberg to consider the matter seriously and ensure immediately that Meta’s operations in India remain neutral, particularly ahead of the upcoming national elections in 2024.

We must note that several foreign media publications had earlier reported about Meta’s (formerly Facebook’s) alleged bias towards content published by BJP in several national issues including the farmer’s protest in the national capital in 2020.

Facebook India, under the direction of its public policy director Ankhi Das, had allegedly refused to take down hateful posts from politicians of the ruling BJP, in order to seek favours from the Indian government.

Amid several such investigations and letters from civil rights organisations across the world, Facebook’s former India’s policy head Ankhi Das came under fire in 2020. Later she also quit the company.