The Delhi Assembly Peace and Harmony Committee has convened Facebook India Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan in connection with complaints about the alleged “deliberate and intentional inaction of the social media company to contain hateful content” in the country.
The panel, headed by Party leader Aam Aadmi and Rajendra Nagar Raghav Chadha’s MLA, has issued a notice asking Mohan to appear before them on September 15 at the Delhi Vidhan Sabha facility.
Also read: Declaration in the Supreme Court on data protection on UPI platforms
“The subpoena was issued on the basis of scathing statements from key witnesses, as well as incriminating material presented by them in the registry,” the committee said in an official statement Saturday.
The notice came weeks after the committee, at its second hearing on Aug. 31, said that it had prima facie discovered that Facebook was complicit in aggravating the Delhi riots in northeast Delhi in February, leaving 53 dead and more than 400 injured.
The committee is investigating the matter after learning of “various complaints” received from individuals based on an article published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 14. The report titled “Facebook’s Hate Speech Rules Collide with Indian Politics” stated that Facebook officials, especially its chief public policy executive in India, Ankhi Das, allegedly cited business imperatives by choosing not to enforce incitement rules. hatred of at least four individuals and groups linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India, despite their being internally branded for promoting or participating in violence.
Also read: Back to the roots: Facebook launches the application within the application called campus
Delhi police have yet to indict BJP leader Kapil Mishra in connection with the unrest. Mishra was accused of delivering inflammatory speeches before the riots. Mishra, however, denied the charges and said he had not violated any laws.
“We hereby summon you (Ajit Mohan) to appear before the committee on September 15, 2020 at 12 noon at MLA Lounge-1, Delhi Vidhan Sabha, in order to register your declaration under oath and participate in the procedures carried out by the committee, ”said the summons issued by the Deputy Secretary of the Delhi Assembly on September 10. HT has seen a copy of the notice.
HT has reached out to Facebook for comment.
.
