Soc media platforms must provide tech solutions to filter fake

With members in Rajya Sabha expressing concern over social media platforms being used to spread rumours and fake news, government today said it has asked them to provide technological solutions so that verified fake news and provocative messages can be filtered.

Government will strengthen the legal framework to ensure that significant social media and instant messaging service providers targeting Indian users, do not deprive them of the right to hold proceedings in India and protecting Indian laws, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Responding to the members' concerns during a calling attention motion notice on the misuse of social media platforms and propagation of fake news causing unrest and violence, he said government is seriously considering that through appropriate rules all social media platforms should be required to locate their grievance officer in India.

"The duty of such grievance officer should cover not only to receive grievances on real time basis but also to inform law enforcement agencies," Prasad said.

WhatsApp, he said, has informed that it will introduce fact-checking and fake news verification mechanisms to help people check the veracity of content on the platform.

Earlier, members including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad had raised serious concern over the incidents relating to abuse of social media leading to mob lynchings, with some of them even accusing the government of inaction.

In his response, Prasad said "these (incidents) are deeply painful and regrettable, as well as a matter of deep concern for the Government. The Government has taken prompt action".

He said the government planned to issue directives in public interest requiring all social media platforms to ensure that they "do not become vehicles for promoting hatred, terrorism, money laundering, mob violence and rumour mongering."
The Minister said there were subsequent reports that users' data was "illegally accessed by hardware manufacturers who had tie-ups with Facebook. In regard to this issue, Facebook has reported that they are not aware of any misuse of information, including Indian users' information."
Without taking names, Azad said Union Ministers and MLAs "go to jail to meet those allegedly involved in mob violence or felicitate such people. They should be dropped."