NEW DELHI: Expressing grave concern over potential harm of users on social media, the government said on Thursday that “bias in algorithms is a serious issue” and global tech giants and platforms have to ensure the internet remains a safe, trusted and an accountable medium for all Indians.
The comments by junior IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar came in response to a question around concerns over inadequate content supervision/moderation policies at Facebook and group company Instagram after damning revelations by a whistleblower.
Chandrasekhar said that the government is concerned about potential abuse and misuse of social media users, and wants that user safety be accorded primacy by internet giants such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, YouTube and others that operate across the online space in India. “The issue of bias in algorithms is a serious issue for governments, consumers and regulators all over the world. Our jurisprudence and laws and regulations must — sometime in the future — be able to address this issue,” Chandrasekhar told TOI, in the first official comment by the government following the global outrage over Haugen’s revelations that the Mark Zuckerbergled Facebook and his company Instagram had been cavalier about user safety as they chased profits and neglected algorithms that fuelled hate.
It is understood Facebook has been served with a notice on the issue, and the firm has been asked to give details about the algorithms it puts in place for content moderation, checking unlawful and fake messaging, and other illegal activities. The minister said effective checks should be maintained to guard against instances of hate crime, fake news, cyber bullying, child pornography and unlawful content around kids and women.
“The internet should be a safe and trusted medium. It should be accountable, especially to its users.” Chandrasekhar said that the views of the government have been conveyed to the companies through meetings that he has had with their representatives after taking charge at the ministry.
Also, he said that the updated IT Rules for social-media companies, announced in February this year, were a step in this direction. “India has taken a global lead in defining some of the measures that makes the internet and social-media a safe medium, while making the companies accountable to their users.” He said the rules stipulate that global companies — with a large user base in India — appoint statutory officers within the country to ensure adherence to laws and regulations. These include the chief compliance officer who is responsible for ensuring compliance with the IT Act and Rules, a nodal contact person to ensure 24×7 coordination with law-enforcement agencies, and a grievance officer to handle user complaints around content. Also, the platforms have been asked to publish monthly compliance reports, giving details about the user complaints received and action taken thereon, including on a voluntary basis.