The Supreme Court has ruled that internet platforms that can “polarise public discussions” and “affect significant parts of the population” should be held accountable to people who trust them.
The Supreme Court found it difficult to accept Facebook’s “simplistic view” that it is just a platform that posts third-party material and has no involvement in creating, managing, or modifying such content.
While stating that the national capital cannot afford a repeat of last year’s riots, the top court also said that India’s “unity in diversity” cannot be disrupted. The role of Facebook in these circumstances must be investigated by the powers that be.
“A behemoth like Facebook claiming ignorance or absence of any crucial role cannot disturb this (unity in diversity) at any cost or under whatever purported freedom,” the Supreme Court stated.
It also dismissed a petition filed by Facebook India Vice President and MD Ajit Mohan, and others. They were summoned by the Delhi Assembly’s Peace and Harmony committee for failing to appear as a witness in connection with last year’s election. The top court said that while Facebook has played a vital role in enabling free speech by providing a voice to the voiceless and a way to avoid state censorship, it cannot lose sight of the point that it has also become a “platform for disruptive communications, voices, and ideologies,” upholding the Delhi Assembly’s right to summon them.
While the top court upheld the Delhi Assembly’s authority to call them, it stated that entities like Facebook, which has about 270 million members in India, must stay accountable to people who entrust them with such power. Based on its privilege, a three-judge panel led by Justice S K Kaul concluded that the Delhi Legislative Assembly and its committee had the right to force the presence of members and outsiders.
While recognizing the balance of power, it stated that while law and order and police do not fall under the legislative jurisdiction of the Delhi Assembly, the notion of peace and harmony in the broader context extends much beyond that.
Prittle Prattle News has curated this article.
By Reporter.
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