2020 Delhi riots: Panel asks Facebook execs for records of users' report

SC in July had refused to invalidate summons issued to the social media giant by the committee and said the panel does not have any policing powers and is not a prosecuting agency

Facebook officials on Thursday appeared before the Delhi Assembly's Peace and Harmony Committee in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. The Supreme Court in July had refused to invalidate the summons issued to the social media giant by the committee and also said that the panel does not have any policing powers and is not a prosecuting agency.

The Delhi Assembly committee asked Facebook India to furnish records of users' reports (complaints) on the content posted on the platform one month prior and two months after the northeast Delhi riots in February 2020, according to media platform PTI.

The committee heard the representation by Shivnath Thukral, the public policy director of Facebook India (Meta Platforms). The chairman of the Peace and Harmony Committee Raghav Chadha asked for the records.

The Facebook official was asked about various issues such as hate speech definitions at the social media firm, community standards, organisational structure and the complaints redressal mechanism.

Thukral said Facebook is not a law enforcement agency. But he said it has a mechanism to co-operate with such agencies whenever required. These agencies reflect on Facebook platform as well, when things happen in the real world. He said Facebook does not want hate on its platform and there are some bad actors that need to be worked on.

He said Facebook has 40,000 people working on content management. These include 15,000 people dealing with content moderation. He said any content found against the community standards followed by the platform is taken down immediately.

Summons had been issued by the committee to Facebook India. It was asked to share its views on the key role of social media platforms in curtailing the spread of false, provocative and malicious messages that can incite disharmony and violence. The panel has so far heard seven witnesses while examining the role of social media platforms in connection with the northeast Delhi riots that claimed over 50 lives and left hundreds of people injured in February 2020, according to PTI.

“For the first time, we have the chance to directly see (online) Indian elected lawmakers seeking to hold a Facebook executive to account.” tweeted  Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Policy Director and Senior International Counsel at Access Now, a digital rights organisation. “The Committee for Peace and Harmony of the Delhi Legislative Assembly has Shivnath Thukral of FB (Facebook) before them.”