Union IT min slams Rahul Gandhi over FB-BJP remark; cites 'Cong-Cambridge Analytica' link

Responding to Rahul Gandhi's allegation on Facebook and BJP, Union Electronics and Information Techlogy Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday, pointed out to Congress' alleged involvement with Cambridge Analytica to 'weaponise data'. Terming Gandhi a 'loser who could t influence people in his own party', Prasad questioned Gandhi's gall to question BJP. Affirming that information and freedom of expression has been democratized today, Prasad asked Gandhi about his n-existent condemnation on Bengaluru riots.

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RSP to Gandhi: 'Gall to question us?'

Rahul Gandhi on Facebook's 'hate-speech policy' for BJP: 'Influenced electorate with it'

Rahul Gandhi lashes out at BJP

Earlier in day, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi alleged that 'BJP & RSS controlled Facebook' while opining on a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on hate-speech on Facebook. He claimed that 'American media had finally come out with truth about Facebook'. Gandhi, who has been continually critical of Modi government alleged that BJP spread fake news and hatred through Facebook to influence electorate. Facebook has currently invested a whopping $5.7 billion in Mukesh Ambani-owned Jio platforms, raking a 9.9% stake in company.

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What does WSJ report claim?

American newspaper Wall Street Journal claimed that BJP's Telangana MLA T Raja Singh had often made communal and incendiary speeches that were posted on Facebook, clashing with company's hate speech rules. report claims that inspite of posts allegedly violating Facebook's hate-speech rules and qualifying as dangerous, Facebook India's top public-policy executive Ankhi Das had claimed that punishing violations by BJP would 'dam company's business prospects in India'. Apart from Singh, three or BJP leaders or Hindutva groups were allegedly flagged by Facebook for hate-speech. 

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report furr points out that Facebook has faced issues to launch its telecommunications service - Free Basics in 2016 from Modi government, as it violated net neutrality. report furr stated that while some of Singh's posts were removed by Facebook, social media giant has demoted Singh's account to a n-verified, ufficial account without a blue tick.Citing preferential treatment by Facebook, WSJ points to removal of thousands of Congress-linked Pakistan military posts and several BJP-linked fake news ps prior to Lok Sabha elections. While Facebook publically disclosed deletion of Congress-linked accounts, it allegedly did t disclose removal of BJP-linked posts.