- Google plans to create a self-regulatory body for the social media sector in India.
- India proposed establishing a government panel to hear user complaints about content moderation decisions In June.
- Representatives from Snap Inc. and popular Indian social media platform ShareChat joined Facebook, Twitter, and Google at the meeting.
Google has serious reservations about creating a self-regulatory body for the social media sector in India to listen to user complaints, even though the proposal has the support of Facebook and Twitter.
India proposed establishing a government panel to hear user complaints about content moderation decisions In June, but has also stated that it is open to the idea of a self-regulatory body if the industry is willing.
The lack of agreement among the tech titans, on the other hand, increases the likelihood of a government panel being formed – a prospect that Meta Platforms Inc’s Facebook and Twitter are keen to avoid due to concerns about government and regulatory overreach in India, according to sources.
At a closed-door meeting this week, an executive from Alphabet Inc’s Google told other attendees the company was unconvinced about the merits of a self-regulatory body. The body would mean external reviews of decisions that could force Google to reinstate content, even if it violated Google’s internal policies, the executive was quoted as saying.
Such directives from a self-regulatory body could set a dangerous precedent, the sources also quoted the Google executive as saying.
Representatives from Snap Inc. and popular Indian social media platform ShareChat joined Facebook, Twitter, and Google at the meeting. In India, the companies have hundreds of millions of users.
According to the sources, Snap and ShareChat are also concerned about a self-regulatory system, claiming that it requires much more consultation, including with civil society.
Google said in a statement that it had attended a preliminary meeting and is working with the industry and the government to find the “best possible solution.”
ShareChat and Facebook did not respond to requests for comment. The other companies did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
