Govt writes to Google, Twitter and Facebook to prevent fake videos on food quality in India

Taking cognizance of the fake-news menace on social-media platforms, the government has written to Facebook, Google and Twitter to do due diligence to prevent the uploading of such material and warn those who misuse the platforms that their accounts could be blocked. Sources told BusinessLine that the development comes after Pawan Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), expressed concerns saying “such false propaganda is neither good for citizens nor for businesses”.

“It has come to our notice that some miscreants are using various social-media platforms for circulating fake and objectionable material, including false and malicious videos regarding safety and quality of food available in India. Specific instances include creating false scare of plastic eggs, plastic rice and melamine in milk,” said the letter, which was sent to the three companies last month.

BusinessLine has seen the letter sent by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to the three US companies. The letter states that “one specific fake video” related to the presence of melamine in milk, where it was maliciously projected that the FSSAI had given permission to use the chemical compound in milk.

Such false and malicious videos erode the confidence of the public in institutions that are performing their job with due diligence, it said.

The government is awaiting the response of these companies, and based on that, it will take further action.

COMMENT NOW