Facebook denies allegations after hashtag 'Anti-IndiaFacebook' dominates Twitter

Amid a hate speech row, Facebook on August 17 clarified that it prohibits hate speech and content that incites violence. In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson said the company enforces policies globally without regard to anyone's political position or affiliation.

The statement is a response to the article published in Wall Street Journal claiming that Facebook ignored applying its hate speech rules to politicians of the ruling party in India to avoid damaging the social media platform’s business prospects.

The article had alleged that a top Facebook India official had told staffers to not punish violations by BJP members as it “would damage the company’s business prospects in the country."

"We prohibit hate speech and content that incites violence and we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone’s political position/party affiliation. We are making progress on enforcement and conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness and accuracy," a Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying by ANI.

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The report had set social media abuzz with hashtag 'Anti-India Facebook' trending on Twitter for several hours.

In a no-holds-barred attack, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared the article on Twitter alleging that Facebook and WhatsApp were controlled by the ruling party and their fringe group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India.

BJP & RSS control Facebook & Whatsapp in India.

They spread fake news and hatred through it and use it to influence the electorate.

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Finally, the American media has come out with the truth about Facebook. pic.twitter.com/Y29uCQjSRP

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 16, 2020

This triggered a sharp reaction from Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad who reminded the opposition party of the Cambridge Analytica controversy.

Losers who cannot influence people even in their own party keep cribbing that the entire world is controlled by BJP & RSS.

You were caught red-handed in alliance with Cambridge Analytica & Facebook to weaponise data before the elections & now have the gall to question us? https://t.co/NloUF2WZVY

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) August 16, 2020

In the Cambridge Analytica controversy, a UK based whistle-blower by the name Christopher Wylie had testified before the UK court and named Congress as one of its clients and said they worked 'extensively' in India.

(With inputs from ANI)