New Delhi: Facebook Inc said it was taking steps to combat hate speech and misinformation in India as the world’s biggest democracy started its months-long multi-phase elections in four big states.
“We recognize that there are certain types of content, such as hate speech, that could lead to imminent, offline harm,” the social networking giant said in a blog post dated March 30.
India is Facebook’s biggest market by users. Its WhatsApp chat service is among the most popular in the country. Facebook has been under fire globally for alleged lapses in controlling hate speech.
Elections in the states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and union territory Puducherry are a test of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity amid a raging protest by farmers against new agricultural laws that have sparked outcry at home and abroad.
“To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement,” Facebook said.