Congress attacks Facebook, says it has 'different strokes for different folks'

While addressing a press conference, Congress Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate lashed out on Facebook over its alleged "ties" with the BJP and said that the social networking site often takes no action even allows objectionable content to continue despite being brought to notice. However, Facebook also reacted over the matter saying that it prohibits hate speeches, contents and informed these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position.

New Delhi: Congress party on Monday intensified its attack on Facebook over its alleged "ties" with the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), saying that the rules of social media platform are different in India, as compared to the rest of the countries, and are "bent" as per its convenience.

While addressing a press conference, Congress Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "Facebook's inaction destabilises our democracy. More often than not Facebook takes no action and even worse allows objectionable content to continue despite being brought to notice."

She further alleged, "Facebook also has different rules for different countries and that is not acceptable. The rules for India are dramatically different and are bent as per their convenience. In India, despite external complaints and red flags raised by its own trust and safety teams, hate content has been allowed to wilfully continue."

Political slugfest over Facebook begins after a report published by Wall Street Journal stated that Facebook's top public policy executive in India, refused to apply company's rules over hate speech to some BJP leaders as it "would damage the company's business prospects in the country".

"Across the world, Facebook has removed pages and issued press releases whether it is in the US or Turkey citing 'Coordinated inauthentic behaviour' but why has Facebook never done something similar with the rumour-mongering and hate speeches in India? There is enough and more objectionable content that exist on its platform. Some of which incites violence, some is abusive against women and some targets particular communities and Groups," questioned the Congress leader.

However, Facebook also reacted over the matter saying that it prohibits hate speeches, content and informed these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday, demanded Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on Facebook, while alleging that BJP-RSS are "controlling" Facebook and Whatsapp to "spread fake news and hatred" and to influence the electorate.

Shrinate added, "Apart from just Facebook, the rumour mongering, disinformation and hate speech that goes unchecked on Whatsapp is even more damaging. The lack of systems to immediately check such messages is shocking for a user base as large as ours."

Shashi Tharoor, head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, has also ensured that the committee will seek the views of Facebook over the matter.