Twitter has been asked by a parliamentary panel to respond to fake news and objectionable content in real time. The direction comes citing the nearing Lok Sabha elections.
Twitter has also been asked to make sure that there is no foreign intervention in influencing voters as per industry sources.
“The committee members unanimously issued strict instructions (to Twitter) that no international interference should be allowed in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” said the panel as per a statement published in Economic Times.
“They have been asked to ensure that the integrity of their platform is not violated so that there can be free and fair elections,’’ the panel added.
The panel also stated that Twitter can’t suppress opinions.
“It was sternly conveyed that no sort of bias should be applied by Twitter by selectively throttling news feed of a section of individuals,” said the person from the panel.
“As per data made available by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Twitter’s compliance rate, in acting against those creating a negative atmosphere online against the Indian security forces and threatening the national security, is close to 60%. The current compliance rate is unsatisfactory and needs to be improved significantly. It is imperative that Twitter responds promptly and swiftly to requests made by the Indian security agencies, especially in times of crisis,’’ said the statement.
Twitter recently said in a press statement that the coming elections are a key priority for it.
“The 2019 Lok Sabha (elections) are a priority for the company and our dedicated cross-functional team is working to ensure the health of the public conversation is enhanced and protected at this important time,’’ said Colin Crowell, Public Policy Head for Twitter last week.
