FACEBOOK SAYS BLOCKED ‘RESIGN MODI’ POSTS BY MISTAKE, CENTRE DENIES ROLE
NEW DELHI: Facebook on Thursday blocked “#ResignModi” for several hours before restoring it saying it was done by mistake as the social media company drew flak for censoring calls on the platform for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation for allegedly mishandling the second Covid-19 wave.
“We temporarily blocked this hashtag by mistake, not because the Indian government asked us to, and have since restored it,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
The information technology ministry echoed Facebook and cited a Wall Street Journal story attributing the removal of a “certain hashtag” to the government of India’s efforts to curb public dissent. It called the story “misleading on facts and mischievous in intent”.
In a series of posts on the microblogging site Koo, the ministry said the government has not issued any direction to remove this hashtag.
“Facebook has also clarified that it was removed by mistake,” it said.
NEW DELHI: Facebook on Thursday blocked “#ResignModi” for several hours before restoring it saying it was done by mistake as the social media company drew flak for censoring calls on the platform for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation for allegedly mishandling the second Covid-19 wave.
“We temporarily blocked this hashtag by mistake, not because the Indian government asked us to, and have since restored it,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
The Electronics and Information Technology ministry echoed Facebook and cited a Wall Street Journal story attributing the removal of a “certain hashtag” to the government of India’s efforts to curb public dissent. It called the story “misleading on facts and mischievous in intent”.
In a series of posts on the microblogging site Koo, the ministry said the government has not issued any direction to remove this hashtag. “Facebook has also clarified that it was removed by mistake,” it said.
“It is pertinent to mention that on 5th March 2021 also, Wall Street Journal had published a fake news with heading- ‘India Threatens Jail for Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter Employees’. Government had sent an official rebuttal of this completely fake and manufactured story to Wall Street Journal.” The ministry said media have a very important role to play in acting as a force multiplier to the efforts of front-line workers and medical professionals.
“At a sensitive time like this, we would urge the media to partner with crores of ordinary Indians as we collectively fight the pandemic.”
The blocking and unblocking of the hashtag came days after the Centre issued orders to take down over 100 “inflammatory” posts and accounts across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram related to Covid-19, including a verified Facebook page of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.