The parliamentary standing committee on Information Technology has summoned Facebook on September 2 to discuss the issue of alleged misuse of social media platforms in the wake of claims that the US firm did not apply hate-speech rules to certain BJP politicians.
A day before, the panel will also discuss the issue of internet shutdowns and has called representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir administration and others.
Besides representatives of Facebook, the committee has asked those from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to attend on September 2 to discuss the subject of “safeguarding citizens’ rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space”.
The agenda of the committee’s September 2 meeting states that to “hear the views of the representatives of Facebook on the subject ‘Safeguarding citizens’ rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space”.
No immediate response was available from the social media firm on the summon.
The notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat came on a day when senior member of the committee and BJP leader Nishikant Dubey wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking removal of Shashi Tharoor as the panel’s chairman, alleging that the Congress leader was using the platform for a political agenda.
