new Delhi: Urging the government to end the “systematic influence and interference” of Facebook and other social media giants in electoral politics, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday stressed on protecting “democracy and social harmony”.
“I urge the government to end the systematic influence and interference of FB and other social media giants in the electoral politics of the world’s largest democracy. It is beyond parties and politics,” said Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, reported ANI.
“We need to protect our democracy and social harmony, no matter who is in power,” he said.
The Congress President expressed serious concern over the “growing menace” of social media.
“Thank you for allowing me to raise an issue of paramount importance – the growing threat of social media being misused to hack our democracy. Global companies like FB and Twitter are involved in shaping political narratives by leaders, parties and their representatives. are increasingly used,” she said.
Gandhi said it has repeatedly come out publicly that global social media companies are not providing “equal opportunities to all parties”.
“The manner in which social harmony is being disturbed by FB with the connivance of the ruling establishment is dangerous for our democracy,” he said.
Gandhi further said that minds young and old are being filled with hatred through emotionally charged propaganda, something “proxy advertising companies” like Facebook are aware of and profit from.
“The report shows a growing nexus between large corporations, the ruling establishment and global social media giants like FB,” she said.