Congress alleges Facebook 'influencing' polls, furthering BJP agenda; demands JPC inquiry

On Monday, the Congress blamed social networking giant Facebook for "influencing" India's election and "undermining" democracy. The party demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to scrutinize the matter. 

"Facebook has reduced itself to a Fakebook," Congress Spokesperson Pawan Khera said while citing the purported leaked internal reports of the technology company for dodging an action against hate speech posts on its platform in India.

Facebook India, however, made no comments on the allegations levelled against the company. The Congress leader also alleged that the social media platform was acting as an aide of the ruling BJP and that the company is pressing the saffron party agenda.

Congress leader slams FB for inaction on hate posts, influencing elections 

Khera pointed to the research testimonies put forward by whistleblower Frances Haugen, who had been a former Facebook integrity team member, and alleged that "It (Facebook) took no decisive action against the perpetrators of such hate posts in Hindi and Bengali."

He claimed that Facebook's internal reports have classified false accounts with over a million impressions, yet remained ignorant on the matter. "We demand a JPC probe to look into the role of Facebook in influencing our elections," Khera told media persons.

The leader claimed that the social media company was making efforts to '"compromise and undermine our democracy in trying to shape through fake posts the opinions of people"'. He further alleged that BJP activists and its workers have infiltrated into the structure and functioning of Facebook.

Khera alleges Facebook of promoting ruling party agenda

"What right does Facebook have to push a particular ideology through fake posts, pictures, and a narrative. It is shocking how only 0.2 percent of hate speech is removed by Facebook, which despite making the most money from India, does not have the mechanism to filter posts in Hindi or Bengali," he said.

Khera said that just 9 percent of users in India use the social media platform in the English language and yet they do not have systems to filter the posts in their preferred regional language. The Congress leader blamed the company's inaction during the 2020 Delhi riots and the West Bengal elections this summer.

"The role of Facebook can no longer be dismissed as an error or omission as they are knowingly furthering the agenda of the ruling party and its ideology which is hate-filled, bigotry, and dividing society," Khera alleged.

"Why should we not accuse Facebook of interfering in our elections by influencing the voting behaviour of its consumers. This is serious election fraud and a serious interference in our elections by a foreign country," he claimed.

Further slamming the technology company for its silence on the accusations, Pawan Khera questioned, "Why is Facebook quiet on these accusations which have come from within it. Why is the government silent on this, just because it suits their agenda and Facebook has become a tool in the hands of the BJP and its affiliates."

(With inputs from PTI)

Image: @PAWANKHERA-TWITTER/SHUTTERSTOCK