Facebook India dominated by people with particular political belief: Minister

Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday (September 1) wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg amid the controversy over the American social media company’s alleged interference in India’s electoral democracy.

Prasad, in the letter, said media had reported that Facebook India team, right from the India Managing Director to other senior officials, was dominated by people who belong to a particular political belief.

“It is problematic when Facebook employees are on record abusing the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet Ministers of India while still working in Facebook India and managing important positions,” he said.

Letter by @rsprasad Ji to Mark Zuckerberg pic.twitter.com/J9a6ukSeWB

— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) September 1, 2020

“It is doubly problematic when the bias of individuals becomes an inherent bias of the platform. And it is unacceptable when political biases of individuals impinge on the freedom of speech of millions of people,” Prasad added in the letter.

“This interference in India’s political process through gossip, whispers and innuendo is condemnable. This collusion of a group of Facebook employees with international media is giving a free run to malevolent vested interests to cast aspersions on the democratic process of our great democracy,” he said.