End Facebook interference in India’s democracy, says Sonia Gandhi in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, March 16: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday urged the Central Government to put an end to the “systematic interference” of Facebook and other social media giants in India’s electoral politics.

Sonia Gandhi said global companies such as Facebook and Twitter were used increasingly to shape political narratives. She urged the government to end the influence of social media giants on electoral politics in India. Also read | India reports 2,876 fresh Covid-19 infections, 98 deaths in last 24 hours The Congress president said social media platforms were being used to "hack our democracy". "Thank you for allowing me to take up an issue of paramount importance - the rising danger of social media being abused to hack our democracy. Global companies such as Facebook and Twitter are used increasingly to shape political narratives by leaders, parties and their proxies," said Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha while making the mention of the issue in Zero Hour in the House. She said the blatant manner in which social harmony was being disturbed by Facebook with the connivance of the ruling establishment was dangerous for democracy. "It has repeatedly come to public notice that global social media companies aren't providing a level playing field to all parties. The blatant manner in which social harmony is being disturbed by Facebook with the connivance of the ruling establishment is dangerous for our democracy," she added. The Congress interim president further said the report showed a "growing nexus between big corporations, ruling establishment and global social media giants such as Facebook". Also Read | News of Lawrence Bishnoi group claiming responsibility for Sandeep Nangal's death is FAKE "Young and old minds are being filled with hate through emotionally charged disinformation, and proxy advertising companies like Facebook are aware of it and are profiting from it," she said. "I urge the government to put an end to the systematic influence and interference of Facebook and other social media giants in the electoral politics of the world's largest democracy. This is beyond parties and politics," the Congress interim president said. Sonia Gandhi said "we need to protect democracy and social harmony regardless of who is in power." -PTC News