Facebook India seeks 14-day extension from Delhi Assembly over summon

Facebook India has sought a 14-day extension to appear before the Delhi Assembly’s Committee on Peace and Harmony, which had summoned the social media giant to send its senior representative to testify on November 2 over the February 2020 riots in the national capital.

Public policy head of Facebook India has made the extension request to enable the organisation to ensure the availability of senior representatives with the requisite knowledgeto provide the Committee with the data required.

“It becomes incumbent on yourself to ensure the appearance of the appropriate senior representative(s) before the Committee on the date and time requested,” the letter sent to the Deputy Secretary of the Committee on October 29 read.

The team has also requested the Committee to share the questions it intends to ask, “or at least the topics of inquiry in advance” so that Facebook’s representatives are “equipped with relevant information”.

The Delhi Assembly panel in its summon dated on October 27 said: “Since Facebook has lakhs of users in the NCT of Delhi, Athe committee has decided to hear the views of representative(s) of Facebook India.

“The committee has observed and is of the opinion that social media has a very important role in curbing the spread of false, provocative and malicious messages, Awhich can fan the violence and disharmony.”

The Committee was constituted after the Northeast Delhi riots took place between anti and pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters.

The time of the mayhem coincided with former US President Donald Trump’s maiden trip to India.

Over 50 people had died in this riots, one-third of which belonged to a minority community.

Several viral posts over social media, mainly Facebook, added fuel to the fire.