Received complaints of Facebook officials ignoring hateful content, says Delhi assembly panel

Aug 17, 2020

New Delhi [India], Aug 17 : The Delhi Legislative Assembly's Committee on Peace and Harmony has said that it has received multiple complaints addressed to its chairman Raghav Chadha alleging that Facebook officials deliberately ignored hateful content in India out of vested interests.
The committee said after careful deliberations over the allegations levelled in the complaints, it has decided to take immediate cognisance of this issue and has set its mechanism in motion.
AAP MLA Raghav Chadha in a tweet said, "Interestingly, in a video featuring Mark Zuckerberg, the contents of a BJP leader's post during the Delhi riots were quoted as categorically offensive and hateful. Despite this officials of Facebook allegedly turned a blind eye to hate speech and communal hate-mongers. In view thereof it compels the committee to take immediate notice and get to the root of this issue with a view to painstakingly discern if there is any role or complicity of Facebook officials in Delhi riots."
"Further, it has been decided to delve into the issue of any devious conspiracy/unholy nexus of hate-mongers and Facebook with oblique motives to wreak havoc in the country and more particularly in Delhi by disturbing peace and tranquillity and instigating communal disharmony," Raghav Chadha said in another tweet.
He said, "Summons are set to be sent for appearance to the concerned officials of Facebook in due course to ensure their presence before the committee for participating in the proceedings and the committee shall convene its meeting this week to initiate the proceedings forthwith."
"The committee will facilitate state's endeavor to maintain and promote an irenic atmosphere and a conducive milieu of peace and pacification among different communities in Delhi. It is our aim to take action against any potential adversity which might cause communal discord," the AAP MLA said in another tweet.