Social media being used to hack democracy, charges Sonia Gandhi in Lok Sabha, calls for curbs

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi speaks in the Lok Sabha during the second part of Budget Session of Parliament. Pic/PTI

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that global companies like Facebook and Twitter are used increasingly to shape political narratives and urged the government to end the influence of social media giants on electoral politics in India.

She said that social media platforms are being used to "hack our democracy".

"Thank you for allowing me to take up an issue of paramount importance - the rising danger of social media being abused to hack our democracy. Global companies like Facebook and Twitter are used increasingly to shape political narratives by leaders, parties and their proxies," said Sonia Gandhi in Lok Sabha while making the mention of the issue in Zero Hour in the House.

She said that the blatant manner in which social harmony is being disturbed by Facebook with the connivance of the ruling establishment is dangerous for our democracy.

"It has repeatedly come to public notice that global social media companies aren't providing a level playing field to all parties. The blatant manner in which social harmony is being disturbed by Facebook with the connivance of the ruling establishment is dangerous for our democracy," she added.

The Congress interim president further said the report shows a growing nexus between big corporations, ruling establishment and global social media giants like Facebook.

"Young and old minds are being filled with hate through emotionally charged disinformation, and proxy advertising companies like Facebook are aware of it and are profiting from it," she said.

"I urge Government to put an end to the systematic influence and interference of Facebook and other social media giants in the electoral politics of the world's largest democracy. This is beyond parties and politics," the Congress interim president said.

Sonia Gandhi said that "we need to protect democracy and social harmony regardless of who is in power."

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