iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
US tech giants like Google, Twitter and Facebook have been facing heated discussion with the Indian officials for not proactively removing what they described as fake news on their platforms.
According to a report from Reuters, officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), strongly criticized the companies and said their inaction on fake news was forcing the Indian government to order content takedowns, which in turn drew international criticism that authorities were suppressing free expression, two sources said.
The sources, who were familiar with the proceedings at the virtual meeting on Monday, January 31, described the conversation as tense and heated, signaling a new low in ties between American tech giants and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
The officials did not issue any ultimatum to the companies at the meeting, the sources said. The government has been tightening tech sector regulations but wants companies to do more on content moderation.
The meeting was a follow-up to the I&B ministry’s use of “emergency powers” in December and January to order the blocking of 55 channels on Google’s YouTube platform, and some Twitter and Facebook accounts. The government had said the channels were promoting “fake news” or “anti-India” content and that the disinformation was being spread by accounts based in neighboring Pakistan.
Without commenting on the meeting, Alphabet Inc’s Google said in a statement it reviews government’s requests and “where appropriate, we restrict or remove content in keeping with local laws.”
During the meeting, senior tech executives told the officials that they take adequate measures to remove or curb the spread of misinformation on their platforms, and act on legally-valid content removal requests, said the sources.
Executives from Google told the I&B officials that one way to resolve that was for the ministry to avoid making takedown decisions public. The firms could work with the government and act on the alleged fake content, which could be a win-win for both sides, Google said, according to one of the sources.
The idea was summarily rejected by the government officials, who said the takedowns also publicize how the companies weren’t doing enough to tackle fake news on their own, the person said.
While ordering takedowns of certain online accounts in January, the government said it was doing so to “secure the overall information environment in India”, adding that such fake content was on “sensitive subjects” such as the Indian Army, India’s foreign relations and local state elections.
Digital rights advocates say such government orders curb free speech and set a worrying precedent. “Detailed takedown orders are not made public by the government,” said Apar Gupta, the executive director at Internet Freedom Foundation, adding that the basis for the action was not explained.
This allowed authorities to censor content even if it does not violate public order or the security of the state, he said.
