(Reuters) – Google has reservations about establishing a self-regulatory body for social media in India to hear user complaints, while Facebook and Twitter support the idea, according to sources.
India proposed in June to set up a government panel to hear complaints from users about content filtering decisions. If the sector is ready, India is also open to a self-regulatory organization.
Sources say that the lack of agreement among tech companies makes it more likely that the government will set up a panel. Facebook and Twitter want to avoid this because they are worried about government overreach in India.
Google told guests at a closed-door meeting this week that the corporation isn’t convinced by a self-regulatory organization. The executive said that the group would look at decisions that could force Google to bring back information even if it broke company rules.
Insiders say that a Google executive said that such orders could set a dangerous precedent.
Private chats prevented identifying the origins.
Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) and ShareChat also attended. The companies have 100 million consumers in India.
Sources added that Snap and ShareChat suggested a self-regulatory system needs more input from civil society.
Google said it went to an early meeting and is working with the industry and government to find the “best solution.”
Facebook and ShareChat didn’t comment. Other corporations did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
QUESTIONABLE
Social media self-regulatory entities are rare, but collaboration has occurred. Tech companies in New Zealand agreed to follow a set of rules to cut down on harmful online content.
India has struggled with social media content decisions. Governments often ask social media companies to remove content, or they remove it themselves. Google’s YouTube erased 1.2 million videos in the first quarter that violated its rules, the most of any country.
The Indian government is concerned that users who have their information removed have no way to challenge the judgment and must go to court.
Twitter was criticized for blocking powerful Indians, including politicians, for violating its rules. Last year, Twitter and the Indian government got into a fight because Twitter wouldn’t delete accounts that spread false information.
In the first version of the plan for the self-regulatory organization, it was written that the panel would be led by a retired judge or a technology expert, along with six other people, including executives from social media companies.
The panel’s decisions would be “binding,” Reuters’ draft said.
Western tech firms have long argued that India’s tight rules harm their business and investment plans. The conflicts have damaged New Delhi-Washington commercial ties.
U.S. tech advocacy organizations are concerned about the independence of a government-appointed review panel if New Delhi controls who sits on it.
A government panel suggestion was accessible for public comment until early July. There is no implementation date.
