Can't Share Data on Inflammatory Posts Removed During Delhi Riots: Facebook

Facebook India on Thursday appeared before a Delhi Panel on Thursday in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots.

Delhi Riots 2020. Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: PTI)

Officials of Facebook India on Thursday, 18 November, appeared before the Delhi Assembly Committee of Peace and Harmony in connection with the riots that rocked Northeast Delhi in 2020.

According to NDTV, among other things, the company's officials were questioned about the religious affiliation of the India public policy team and board of directors.

Responding to the question from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha, who heads the panel, Shivnath Thukral, Facebook India's Public Policy Director, stated that Facebook does not "maintain records regarding the number of religious minority employees as the law of land doesn't allow that".

However, he was asked by Chadha to provide details about the composition of both based on religion as well as the shareholding pattern, reports NDTV.

On Hate Speech on Facebook

The panel also asked questions about how Facebook India moderates inflammatory content and hate speech on the platform.

According to India Today, Thukral informed the panel that Facebook detects and deletes at least 97 percent of such problematic content. When a user submits a complaint, acknowledgment is provided in 24 hours and work on the complaint completed within two weeks, he added.

The committee also asked the platform to submit all user complaints received starting a month before the riots and going up till two months post the riots, as well as details on action taken on such complaints by Facebook.

"Facebook India and its advertisers don't want hate speech on the platform," Thukral said, adding that if one were to look at Facebook's record of the hate speech it removes, it shows that the platform is proceeding in the right direction.

However, according to NDTV, when asked to provide data on inflammatory posts removed for violating policy during the Delhi riots​, Thukral chose not to answer, pointing out that it is a matter of ongoing investigation.

"It is a matter of an ongoing investigation and a matter of law and order. The SC judgment allows me to exercise my right not to comment on this specific instance," he said, according to India Today.

Chadha also reportedly questioned the official about whether Facebook has defined hate speech in the Indian context.

Thukral said that they would submit a document on safety standards, adding, "We have to balance between free speech and safety. Based on the inputs, in Indian context we have included caste in hate speech."

The Delhi Assembly Committee was created to look into the Northeast Delhi riots that took place in February 2020.

Facebook was brought into the picture when the committee recognised the importance of social media in creating or curbing fake news and false ill-intended messages that can cause violence and sustain it.

(With inputs from NDTV and India Today.)