An investigation into Facebook’s content moderation practices has revealed that the platform allowed Indian propaganda to thrive and supported the actions of the Indian army in the Indian Occupied Kashmir while also targeting Kashmiri journalists. The Washington Post conducted an investigation which revealed that the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps stationed in the Indian Occupied Kashmir operated propaganda-spreading network.
Despite suggestions to delete the network’s pages, Facebook’s India office resisted, citing concerns about the government’s response. After a year-long stalemate, top Facebook executives intervened and ordered the deletion of the fake accounts.
Additionally, the platform has been accused of favoring India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by failing to take action against hate speech spread by BJP politicians. India is a critical market for Facebook’s international growth, and the company’s cautious approach to moderating pro-government content has raised concerns.
Reports have indicated that Indian executives at Facebook objected to efforts to combat fake accounts, hate speech, and propaganda, and some of them held views aligned with the BJP. Documentary evidence and employee interviews indicated that Facebook executives frequently avoided taking action against the BJP or associated accounts, even in cases where leaders openly called for violence against Muslims.
India’s significance as a market, its judicial protections, and geopolitical importance have complicated the tech industry’s relationship with Indian regulators. The success of India’s government in influencing internet companies has also inspired other countries, such as Brazil, Nigeria, and Turkey, to adopt a similar approach.
