US Tech Giants Google, Facebook, Twitter Face Government Heat After 'Fake News Inaction'

Modi govt vs Big tech giants: Narendra Modi government on Wednesday held a meeting with US tech giants for not taking active actions against fake news.

Logos of mobile applications of social media platforms (File photo: AFP)

New Delhi: In a stringent action against US tech giants on fake news, Indian officials held heated discussions with Google, Twitter, and Facebook for not taking active actions on fake news on their platforms, sources told Reuters.

Officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have criticized the big tech companies. If reports are to be believed, sources have told that the inaction of companies on Fake News was forcing the Indian government to take down content online, which later drew criticism that authorities were suppressing free expression, two sources said.

If sources are to be believed, this meeting took place virtually on Monday. Signalling the new ties between American tech giants and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the meeting was described as tense and heated.

Though the government has been tightening tech sector regulations but wants companies to do more on content moderation.

This meeting of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was held as a follow-up to the emergency powers exercised in December and January. Notably, in December, the government had ordered the blocking of 55 YouTube channels along with several Twitter and Facebook accounts.

In its order, the government had said that these channels are being used to spread "fake news" and "information against India". All these accounts were being used from outside Pakistan. There were 12 million subscribers and more than 130 million views on these channels.

"In other countries, they have a mechanism to deal with such complaints. But in India they expect the government to raise the matter instead of taking suo motu action," an official said after a meeting with executives from Google, Twitter, and Facebook.  

"The government has to breathe down their necks and this sends a message to the international community that the Indian government is pressurising them. This should end," the official said.