Can Facebook stop the Modi mob?

Most people across the world who have ever publicly criticised India on the internet, or even just hinted that they’re sceptical of its society’s claims to be a “superpower”, have probably been victimised by troll abuse. Some of these trolls, who the author refers at as the “Modi Mob”, are reportedly connected to the ruling BJP according to reports. Sadhavi Khosla, for example, published a book in December 2016 titled “I Am A Troll” in which she revealed the details of her former life as a troll attacking journalists, actors, and political figures online according to The Guardian’s story about her work at the time.

Those who’ve been on the receiving end of such abuse, such as the author himself, are often frustrated that Facebook rarely takes action against those trolls despite them being reported for violating the platforms community standards. Now, however, there might finally be an answer the question of why justice is barely ever served, and it’s that BJP is accused of exerting political influence over Facebook. The Wall Street Journal reported in their piece last week about how “Facebook's Hate-Speech Rules Collide With Indian Politics” that a BJP lobbyist intervened to prevent the platform from banning a party member who spewed hate speech.

Just a few days ago, Reuters ran a follow-up story titled “Exclusive: Facebook Employees Internally Question Policy After India Controversy – Sources, Memos”, which claimed that some of its workers were pushing back against their company’s double standard of turning a blind eye to hate speech whenever it comes from BJP figures, allegedly due to the party’s influence over Facebook. It’s still too early to tell whether this will lead to Facebook finally applying their rules across the board without exception, but it’s a welcome sign which suggests that there are at least a few ethically minded people there who strongly disagree with what’s happening.

The reason why the problem has persisted for so long is because India has almost limitless market potential for Facebook, which the BJP leverages in order to deter the company from cracking down on hate speech from its political figures and rank-and-rule supporters alike. As a profit-driven company, Facebook is naturally inclined to bend to these political demands, or as critics might describe it, sell out its much-touted community standards for the promise of further riches. This blind eye isn't just greedy, but it also risks becoming very dangerous since the hate speech spewed by some BJP politicians could incite communal riots that kill innocent people.

It’s already bad enough that Facebook rarely takes action against Modi Mob troll abuse, but it’s an altogether different level of terribleness that it doesn’t act upon this mob’s leaders amplifying such hate speech and other such threats at the national level in that religiously diverse country of over one billion people. If the reports about its submission to the BJP’s political pressure are true, then Facebook can no longer claim to be a neutral provider of social media services but would then be rightly regarded as a partisan actor in Indian politics. Even worse, it would be responsible if anyone was hurt in real life should BJP hate speech succeed in inciting riots.

The battle ahead is one of ethics vs profits, and media activity vs political activity. Facebook must decide whether its community standards will be applied without exception even under threat of losing immense profits from its largest emerging market. It should also do some deep introspection into whether it’s really still only just a social media company or whether it’s actually become a political one even if it didn’t consciously intend to be such. If it’s more interested in profits and politics than ethics and media, then it needs to publicly make its new motives known and accept legal responsibility for everything that entails.

For those such as the author who’ve been abused by what he believes are BJP-backed trolls who have the tacit support of “sympathetic” and/or “pressured” members of Facebook’s “moderator” community, it can only be hoped that the company will at least take forthcoming reports of abuse coming from India very seriously and promptly act upon them the next time they’re received. If there’s anyone that can stop the Modi Mob’s online hate and intimidation campaign, then it’s Facebook, but the company might be so deep in the BJP’s pocket that it wouldn’t ever dare turn against its patron.