Amid concerns over rumours and false information circulated on popular platforms, the government on Tuesday said it expects large social media firms like WhatsApp as well as others to behave responsibly and take steps to ensure that users have full confidence in them.
WhatsApp has been under fire over rampant abuse of its platform for circulation of fake news, which has incited mob anger causing lynching incidents in many parts of the country.
Such is the level of alarm among policymakers that the Telecom Department has sought views of the industry on technical measures that can be adopted for blocking mobile apps like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram in situations where national security and public order are under threat.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a TRAI conference, IT Secretary Ajay P Sawhney said,
We expect all platforms to behave in a responsible manner especially those platforms with large user base.Ajay P Sawhney, IT Secretary
He was responding to a specific query on outstanding issues with WhatsApp over the spread of rumours and hoaxes on its platform.
‘Users Need to Have Confidence in The Platform They’re On’
We believe all major platforms have a large presence here. And they will take whatever steps necessary to ensure that users have complete confidence in their platform.Ajay P Sawhney, IT Secretary
Sawhney, however, said that there was no particular reference from the IT Ministry over blocking any platform, as such. He added that users need to be confident about the social media platform they are using.
Whenever an issue crops up, the ministry examines it in accordance with IT Act. Sawhney said, “The IT Act provides all kinds of obligations on the platforms and intermediaries.”
Asked if the ministry has lined up a meeting with companies on the issue of curbing false information on the social media platforms, Sawhney said that it dealt with an issue as and when it came up. He pointed out that the ministry has in the past, too written to service providers.
Why Whatsapp is a Major Concern Right Now
WhatsApp has been in the eye of a storm over mob-lynching incidents being incited by false information and rumours circulating on its platform. Last month, the government expressed dissatisfaction over measures listed by WhatsApp for checking fake news, saying the platform cannot escape its responsibility for such rampant abuse and needed to find the originators of provocative messages.
Government has also warned the Facebook-owned messaging service that in the absence of adequate checks, it will be treated as an ‘abettor’ of rumour propagation and legal consequences shall follow.
Responding to this, WhatsApp informed the government of its efforts to build a local team on ground, including its India Head, but still did not meet a key demand of IT Ministry, which is that of identifying the original message senders. Sawhney said that the IT ministry is “looking into” WhatsApp's response.
We have received their response. They have taken steps to limit forwarding and are trying to improve the platform. We have also requested various platforms to make sure that flagging of concerns is possible within the platform. These are global platforms. We expect, over a period of time, they will ramp up facilities so if anything is disturbing, then the user should be able to flag the concern.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) last month wrote to all telecom operators, the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI), industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and others seeking their inputs to block the applications under the Information Technology (IT) Act during specific circumstances.
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