Parliamentary panel direct Facebook to appear in person and not virtually

The parliamentary standing committee also proposed vaccination for the social media giants’ officials who will come for the meeting

Representational image.: Shutterstock

TT Bureau And Agencies   |   New Delhi   | 20.06.21 : The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor turned down Facebook’s plea for coming for a virtual meeting instead of physical representation citing the company’s Covid policies.

According to sources, the committee also proposed vaccination for the social media giants’ officials who will come for the meeting. The dates of the meeting has not yet been finalised.

The parliamentary standing committee has also decided that all other social media and web platforms like YouTube, Google, etc. must send their representations physically before the panel.

"Taking cognisance of Facebook's reply, now the chairman of the committee sought the list of Facebook officials whom the company wants to send before the committee. The chairman said the committee will provide Covid vaccination to such officials and will also give enough time to come before the committee," sources said. The panel asked why Facebook had not appointed a full-time Chief Compliance Officer in India as required by the new IT rules.

The panel on Friday met Twitter representatives and told them that the microblogging platform will have to abide by the rules of the land. Twitter is at loggerheads with the government over the new IT rules, though the microblogging platform continues to claim that it is cooperating and coordinating with the government. Twitter has recently lost legal protection, which makes it responsible for what anyone posts on the platform.

A Twitter spokesperson said later it was prepared to work with the committee on "safeguarding citizens' rights online in line with our principles of transparency, freedom of expression, and privacy."

On the new IT rules, Facebook has said it will implement the operational processes and improve efficiencies. It has also listed the address of its local grievance redressal company. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, situated at 216, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi – 110020, will handle Facebook and WhatsApp's grivance redressal system. While Spoorthi Priya will be the grievance officer for Facebook, Paresh B Lal will be WhatsApp's designated officer, the company has mentioned.