Communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that platforms like Google, YouTube and WhatsApp should be responsible and accountable in tackling fake news and child pornography. Speaking to the Indian Express group executive director, Anant Goenka, at the IAMAI India Digital Summit, Prasad said that the digital world is pious and pure and is very empowering also but if fake news comes there, it creates a problem.
“I am a great supporter of creativity and freedom but there are also social obligations… digital world can never be caged and should not be caged. But the digital world has to be responsible, accountable and, most importantly, sensitive. For the sake of earning money, is it right to show what we are showing?” he asked.
He further said YouTube, Google, WhatsApp, etc, are public platforms and when there is porn and fake news, material designed to provoke violence and communal considerations are put on the platforms, it is the responsibility of the platforms to tackle it. The minister also highlighted the issue of revenge porn, which is creeping in India.
“…girlfriend and boyfriend split up and then what happens, platform is being abused. Let me share a serious parliamentary concern, the way Internet is being abused for porn, child porn is a serious issue,” he said.
Prasad also reiterated that WhatsApp must provide traceability of messages. “I asked them simply how is it that on the same day, same issue, same geographical area, millions of messages are being replicated. Once I talked very tough, now they have lowered it to five messages, but I have one problem still going on. Who is the initiator of that sin… and if it comes from abroad, who was the first in India to start it?” he asked.
The government and WhatsApp have been engaged in a tussle regarding traceability of messages with the platform insisting that since messages are end-to-end encrypted, it can’t provide the origin. However, after being forced by the government, WhatsApp has lowered the number to five the number of times a message can be forwarded.
“You must remember, India is emerging as a big global power and there are forces that want to create hurdles… that is their outlook but you don’t allow your platform to be abused for that, that is my appeal,” he said.
When Goenka asked if concentration of so much power in Silicon Valley is a concern, the minister said he is not worried because silicon valley has done it with its hard work, imagination and innovation. “Many of them are Indians… I feel very proud that there are so many IT giants being held by Indians. From Sunder to Arvind to everyone. It shows new dimensions of India’s talent in the area of technology. Start-up movement globally including India is going to bring great degree of democracy,” he added.
To another query about regulators being able to keep pace with technology, Prasad said India is a democracy and some things should move on the democratic process. “But the law must be after widest consultation possible. On data protection law, we set up a committee of jurists… now select committee is also having consultation. You must allow this process to exhaust itself, what must come out will be good,” he said.
Regarding Amazon, he said India is a good place for doing business. “The $5 trillion economy we are aiming for, $1 trillion will come from digital. How is it that India is biggest recipient of Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter, electronics manufacturing etc, because India is peopled by young men and ordinary Indians who have passion for technology. Come and do business here but follow the law of India,” the minister added.
About China restricting digital firms’ presence while India deciding to be open, Prasad said, “India is democracy. China closed its doors, we won’t and we should not.”
Digital world is a borderless world and problems of unreal or virtual world are also felt in the real world. “I am a minister who is freedom loving but I am also accountable to people and Parliament. They ask me questions, so therefore taking cue from what Anant said, I am appealing to all of you, it is time for you to enjoy the success of digital India, it will create a golden opportunity for you but also be responsible and accountable,” the minister added.
