Facebook, the world’s largest social media platform with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of 2022, has had a tumultuous relationship with the Indian government and regulators over issues like hate speech, misinformation, data privacy and election interference. While demands for banning Facebook outright have come up several times, the platform has not been completely blocked in the country so far.
Key Events Leading to Calls for Bans
Here are some of the major events that have fueled demands for banning Facebook and its family of apps in India:
- February 2021 – A legal notice was sent by an lawyers’ association to the Government of India seeking a permanent ban on Facebook and Instagram over their alleged role in rampantly spreading hate speech and fake news.
- August 2020 – A parliamentary committee summoned Facebook to question it about political bias and interference in India’s democratic process.
- January 2020 – After allegations that Facebook did not apply hate speech rules to certain politicians, a petition was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking blocking of the platform.
- December 2019 – Four people filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court seeking a complete ban on Facebook in India over issues like unauthorized data sharing, election manipulation, and unchecked fake news circulation.
- August 2018 – The Indian government warned WhatsApp to take immediate action to curb the spread of “irresponsible and explosive messages” after rumors on the platform led to multiple incidents of mob lynching.
Partial and Temporary Blocks
While there has been no full-fledged ban on Facebook yet, its services have faced partial and temporary disruptions in the past due to various reasons:
- In 2020, Facebook services including WhatsApp faced two disruptions of a few hours each after internet service providers blocked them on government orders related to farmers’ protests.
- WhatsApp was blocked by the government for a few days in 2017 over issues of traceability and encryption amidst fears that it was being used for illegal activities.
- Facebook’s Free Basics program which offered limited free internet services was banned by the telecom regulator TRAI in 2016 over net neutrality violations.
- Facebook was temporarily blocked in some states in India during 2012 over censorship concerns and failure to monitor offensive content.
Why Calls for Banning Continue
Despite Facebook’s efforts to deal with content moderation issues, the platform remains mired in controversies in India. Some of the reasons why many still demand its ban are:
- Concerns over polarization, hate speech, fake news and political interference around elections.
- Allegations that Facebook favors the ruling party and discriminates against opposition voices.
- Worries about data privacy and unauthorized data sharing by Facebook.
- Fears that Facebook-owned WhatsApp is enabling illegal activities.
- Frustration over Facebook’s perceived inability to curb problematic content on its platforms.
Government’s Stance
The Indian government has so far resisted calls for an outright ban on Facebook. Its stance can be summed up as:
- Banning a platform is an extreme measure, not the solution.
- Issues need a nuanced approach, not knee-jerk reactions.
- Concerns are best addressed through engagement with the platforms.
- Regulations are being tightened to make social media more accountable.
However, the government has conveyed its displeasure over irresponsible content on Facebook’s platforms through warnings, temporary disruptive actions, new rules etc.
Facebook’s Measures
To tackle controversies around its handling of objectionable content, Facebook has taken initiatives like:
- Expanding its content moderation teams in India.
- Partnering with independent fact checking organizations.
- Adopting stricter policies for content involving harassment and dangerous organizations.
- Increasing transparency around political advertising.
- Collaborating with civil society, media literacy organizations and academia.
Facebook claims it has made significant investments and improvements, though many believe it needs to do much more especially ahead of major Indian elections.
Regulatory Challenges
Reasons why regulating Facebook remains tricky for the government:
- Balancing free speech with safety of users.
- Applying laws and rules consistently to a range of platforms.
- Fast evolving technology makes regulating online content difficult.
- Lack of resources and expertise to properly oversee platforms.
- Geopolitical pressures as Facebook is an American company.
Conclusion
In summary, despite persistent calls for blocking Facebook and its family of apps, an outright ban remains unlikely in the near future. The Indian government is more inclined to tighten content regulations and make platforms more accountable through a combination of policy, legal and technological interventions. Facebook too has stepped up investments in safety, transparency and partnerships to tackle the various concerns around its handling of problematic content in India.