NEW DELHI:A day after Facebook India head Ajit Mohan was grilled by a parliamentary panel, the social media giant has responded to letters written by the Congress on issues pertaining to alleged content manipulation by Facebook India employees.
A statement issued by Praveen Chakravarty, Chairman, AICC Data Analytics Department said that, “Facebook has acknowledged its seriousness while not refuting any of the charges made against individuals of the Facebook India leadership team in the media articles.”
“They have also expressed their desire to be non-partisan and continue to engage with the Congress party on these matters.” added Chakravarty.
The party said it will await further concrete action from the global leadership of Facebook and demonstration of specific corrective measures being undertaken in Facebook and WhatsApp India”
On August 18, the Congress party wrote a letter to Facebook Inc expressing concern and asking them to acknowledge the issue and take corrective action. Congress had raised alarm over “interference in India’s internal affairs by a foreign company”.
“This is not a political issue. This is about India’s democracy and use of digital weapons to disrupt India’s social order by a foreign company, at the behest of certain individuals in their leadership team,” said the letter written by Congress’ K.C. Venugopal.
The party declined to comment on the issues raised in the parliamentary panel meet but alleged that the ruling BJP has become a spokesperson of Facebook in the country
The Congress, whose member Shashi Tharoor is the chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee, has repeatedly raised what it calls “unholy nexus” of the ruling BJP with Facebook and WhatsApp. The attack came after a Wall Street Journal article alleged Facebook India’s Head of Public Policy Ankhi Das was seemingly sympathetic to the BJP in the run-up to last year’s general election.
Source: IANS
