Social media was the target of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s anger on Wednesday when she told Parliament that it was being increasingly deployed to “shaping political narratives by leaders, political parties and their proxies”. He mentioned Facebook, in particular, alleging its misuse by the political. Behind the scenes to spread propaganda. To support those allegations, Gandhi cited an Al Jazeera report on Spade by The Reporters Collective in India, which suggested a three-way operation involving the American social-media platform, a large Indian corporate house. went. and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The report claimed that the BJP benefited in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from a campaign material full of lies aimed at voters created by an advertising agency owned by a corporate house and privileged position by Facebook. If its material norms were inclined to such a practice, as alleged, it would be an attempt by a foreign business to interfere with Indian democracy. Meta platforms need to be clear on these charges. Whether bias-free social-media apps can help solve Congress’s woes, however, is another matter.
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