New Delhi: In the matter of Fake News, the matter of Twitter and Google and the heated debate of the Central Government has come to the fore. Officials have reprimanded both the tech companies for the steps being taken on their platforms regarding fake news. According to sources, officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting strongly criticized both the companies, saying that inaction to act on fake news was forcing the government to order the removal of the content, due to which the government faced international criticism. It was falling that the authorities were suppressing the freedom of speech.
Sources said that this meeting, which took place virtually on Monday, was somewhat tense, which reflects the lack of relations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration and American tech companies. However, the officials did not issue an ultimatum to the companies in the meeting, the sources said. The government is tightening the rules of the technology sector but wants companies to do more work on content moderation.
The government had blocked 55 accounts
The meeting came after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in December and January used “emergency powers” to block 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 propaganda was being spread by accounts based in Pakistan. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has not given any information regarding the meeting. Domestic content sharing platforms ShareChat and Ku were also involved in this meeting, which is used by millions of people in the country.
Without commenting on the meeting, Alphabet Inc.’s Google said in a statement that it reviews government requests and “restricts or removes content where appropriate, taking into account local laws.” Koo said it complies with local laws and has strong content moderation practices.
