House panel asks Twitter CEO to appear on Feb 25
NEWDELHI: A parliamentary panel has summoned the chief executive officer (CEO) of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, to appear before it on February 25, after declining to meet representatives from India who appeared before the panel in his stead. HT learns that the panel may also be considering summoning executives from other large social media platforms including Facebook.
The parliamentary panel on information technology said it wouldn’t listen to representatives from the company who do not have the authority for decision making. At its meeting, the panel expressed concern over how algorithms are channelised in India, and has also sought to know the details about the funding of advertisements that appear on the platform, said a person familiar with the discussions.
According to a second person familiar with the discussions, members of the panel said there needs to be a clarification on the nature of the medium; whether it is a technology-driven platform or a content controlling platform.
“If it is a content controlling platform through algorithms, then it is a media platform and a different set of regulations, including over the infusion of foreign direct investment, apply. That question remains unresolved for now,” added this person.
Interestingly, this is a question governments and regulators around the world are asking technology companies and social media platforms that have always portrayed themselves as so-called intermediaries — largely because being classified an intermediary protects them against being liable for the content on the platform.