Social media misuse: Facebook representatives depose before parliamentary committee

NEW DELHI: Facebook India officials Tuesday deposed before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology on the issue of misuse of social media platforms. Facebook and Google officials were summoned by parliamentary panel chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

Facebook's country public policy director Shivnath Thukral and general counsel Namrata Singh deposed before the panel on Tuesday. The agenda of the parliamentary panel meeting is to safeguard citizens' rights and prevent the misuse of social/online news media platforms.

Earlier Facebook representatives had informed the parliamentary panel that their company policy does not allow their officials to attend in-person meetings because of their COVID-related protocol. But chairman Shashi Tharoor conveyed to Facebook that its officials will have to appear in-person since the parliament secretariat does not allow any virtual meetings.

The Parliamentary Committee on IT will also summon representatives of YouTube and other Social Media Intermediaries in the coming weeks over the issue. Facebook and Google representatives were called days after Twitter officials deposed before the panel.

In the last meeting, several members of the panel had categorically told Twitter that the rule of land is supreme not the social media platform's policies.