As Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, prepares for its annual general meeting (AGM) on May 31, 2023, a group of Meta shareholders are calling for action regarding allegations of political entanglement and content management biases in India.
Global non-profit advocacy organization SumOfUs, on behalf of activist Mari Mennel-Bell, has put forth a resolution demanding transparency from Meta in relation to its operations in India. The shareholders argue that Meta’s lack of transparency in India poses a significant risk to the company’s reputation, operations, and investors.
The resolution seeks to commission a nonpartisan assessment of the allegations of political entanglement and content management biases in Meta’s operations in India. The focus of the assessment would be on how the platform has potentially contributed to ethnic and religious conflicts and hatred. The resolution also calls for an evaluation of any evidence of political biases in the company’s activities and measures to ensure non-partisanship. Additionally, shareholders are requesting an assessment of the adequacy of content management algorithms and personnel in India to combat the spread of hate speech and disinformation.
Glass Lewis, a leading advisory service, has recommended that shareholders vote in favor of the proposal. Privacy rights groups such as India Civil Watch International (ICWI) and Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) are also supporting the resolution.
Meta’s board of directors, however, has recommended shareholders to vote against the proposal. The board claims that Meta is committed to platform safety and integrity in all jurisdictions, including India, and has already invested significant resources in promoting user respect and safety in the country.
Meta, particularly its Facebook platform, has faced criticism in the past for its role in spreading hate speech in India. In 2020, the company was accused of supporting hate speech by Indian political leaders affiliated with the ruling party. Meta’s human rights impact assessment report on India also received accusations of inadequate control over hate speech targeting religious minorities.
Furthermore, the leaked Facebook Papers in 2021 revealed Meta’s failure to allocate sufficient resources to address the country’s officially recognized languages and a lack of cultural sensitivity.
Amidst these ongoing criticisms, Meta has experienced internal issues, including resignations from top leaders in India. Last November, WhatsApp’s India head Abhijit Bose and Meta’s India public policy director Rajiv Aggarwal resigned from their positions. Meta India head Ajit Mohan also resigned to join Snap.
