Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Fake news: India seeks tougher action from US tech giants

Fake news: India seeks tougher action from US tech giants

INDIAN officials have held heated discussions with Google, Twitter and Facebook for not proactively removing what they described as fake news on their platforms, sources said, the government's latest altercation with Big Tech.

The officials, from the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B), strongly criticised the companies and said their inaction on fake news was forcing the Indian government to order content takedowns, which in turn drew international criticism that authorities were suppressing free expression, two sources said.


The sources, who were familiar with the proceedings at the virtual meeting on Monday (31), described the conversation as tense and heated, signalling a new low in ties between American tech giants and prime minister Narendra Modi's administration.

The officials did not issue any ultimatum to the companies at the meeting, the sources said. The government has been tightening tech sector regulations but wants companies to do more on content moderation.

The meeting was a follow-up to the I&B ministry's use of "emergency powers" in December and January to order the blocking of 55 channels on Google's YouTube platform, and some Twitter and Facebook accounts

The government had said the channels were promoting "fake news" or "anti-India" content and that the disinformation was being spread by accounts based in neighbouring Pakistan.

The I&B ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting, which was also attended by Indian content-sharing platforms ShareChat and Koo, which have millions of users in the country.

Facebook, now known as Meta, Twitter and ShareChat declined to comment.

Without commenting on the meeting, Alphabet Inc's Google said in a statement it reviews government’s requests and “where appropriate, we restrict or remove content in keeping with local laws.” Koo said it complies with local laws and has strong content moderation practices in place.

In its transparency reports, Twitter has said the Indian government makes among the highest number of requests to remove content from its platform. Technology website Comparitech in October said India made 97,631 content removal requests in 2020, the second-highest in the world after Russia, mostly to Facebook and Google.

'Government was disappointed'

During the meeting, senior tech executives told the officials that they take adequate measures to remove or curb the spread of misinformation on their platforms, and act on legally-valid content removal requests, said the sources.

The officials told Google to review its internal guidelines to remove fake content automatically, said the sources.

The officials also said the government was disappointed that big social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, weren't detecting and removing such content on their own.

Instead, the government was forced to order takedowns, opening it to criticism and damaging its public image, the officials said during the meeting, according to the sources.

Executives from Google told the I&B officials that one way to resolve that was for the ministry to avoid making takedown decisions public. The firms could work with the government and act on the alleged fake content, which could be a win-win for both sides, Google said, according to one of the sources.

The idea was summarily rejected by the government officials, who said the takedowns also publicise how the companies weren't doing enough to tackle fake news on their own, the person said.

While ordering takedowns of certain online accounts in January, the government said it was doing so to "secure the overall information environment in India", adding that such fake content was on "sensitive subjects" such as the Indian Army, India's foreign relations and local state elections.

Digital rights advocates say such government orders curb free speech and set a worrying precedent.

"Detailed takedown orders are not made public by the government," said Apar Gupta, the executive director at Internet Freedom Foundation, adding that the basis for the action was not explained.

This allowed authorities to censor content even if it does not violate public order or the security of the state, he said.

(Reuters)

More For You

usha-vance-jd-trump-getty

Trump with JD Vance (C) and Usha Vance in Emancipation Hall at the US Capitol after being sworn in as the 47th president of the US. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump praises Usha Vance, the first Indian-American Second Lady

US president Donald Trump remarked that Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, could have been his vice president, joking, "she is smarter, but the line of succession didn’t work that way."

Usha, 39, made history on Monday as the first Indian-American and Hindu to serve as Second Lady after her husband was sworn in as the 50th vice president of the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
India-Britain-iStock

The report highlights that in 1750, India accounted for 25 per cent of global industrial output, which declined to 2 per cent by 1900 due to British protectionist policies targeting Indian textiles. (Representational image: iStock)

Report claims colonial Britain drained India of £52.7 trillion

A REPORT by Oxfam International claims that between 1765 and 1900, £52.7 trillion was transferred from India to Britain during colonial rule.

Released during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the report, Takers Not Makers: The unjust poverty and unearned wealth of colonialism, asserts that the British Empire stifled India’s industrial growth and left the nation impoverished.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vivek-Ramaswamy-Getty

Ramaswamy’s announcement came on the same day Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. (Photo: Getty Images)

Vivek Ramaswamy steps down from government role, eyes Ohio governor bid

ASIAN American entrepreneur-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy announced on Monday that he is stepping down from his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Ramaswamy said he plans to focus on preparing for a potential run for governor of Ohio.

Keep ReadingShow less
southport-stabbing-accused-reuters

Axel Rudakubana, 18, unexpectedly pleaded guilty to the murders of three children and to 10 counts of attempted murder. (Image credit: Reuters)

Teen pleads guilty to Southport murders; government announces inquiry

A TEENAGER admitted on Monday to murdering three young girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport last July, eliminating the need for the trial that was set to begin at Liverpool Crown Court.

The government has announced a public inquiry into the attack, which triggered nationwide riots.

Keep ReadingShow less
donald-trump-getty

US President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump signs executive orders on immigration, climate, and more on Day 1

ON HIS first day back in office, US president Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders addressing immigration, climate policies, and other key issues.

The orders included measures he had campaigned on, as well as unexpected actions like withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Keep ReadingShow less