Facebook acknowledged concerns on interference in India’s affairs, promised to take measures: Congress

In response to a letter by the Congress to Facebook Inc. in Menlo Park, USA, on August 18, expressing concern and asking them to acknowledge the issue and take corrective action, we have today received a response from Facebook Inc.

Facebook has thanked the Congress party for raising this concern and 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, Chairman AICC Data Analytics, Praveen Chakravarty said in a statement.

He said that the Congress party will await further concrete action from the global leadership of Facebook and demonstration of specific corrective measures being undertaken in Facebook and WhatsApp India.

It must be reiterated that the media revelations on this issue were based on solid documentary evidence of internal communication and are hence incontrovertible,'Chakravarty said.

Over the past few weeks, there have been significant revelations made by international media publications about the dubious conduct of Facebook and WhatsApp India’s leadership team.

Specifically, there were three articles by the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine that revealed how personal biases and proximity of Facebook and WhatsApp India leadership team with the ruling BJP spilled over to their professional endeavours and used the near monopoly power of their platforms to influence and interfere in India’s electoral democracy and social harmony.

The Congress raised alarm over what they called interference in India’s internal affairs by a foreign company.

On August 18, 2020 the Congress party wrote a letter to Facebook Inc. in Menlo Park, USA, expressing concern and asking them to acknowledge the issue and take corrective action.