After Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp summoned by Parliamentary Panel chaired by BJP

New Delhi: After Twitter, the Parliamentary Panel has now summoned representatives of Facebook, messaging App WhatsApp and photo-sharing App Instagram to present themselves before the committee early next month.

The representatives have been called in to discuss concerns over safeguarding “citizens’ rights on social media,” NDTV reports.

Since social media has become of the largest influential platform to share, circulate, viral all kinds of news, the Indian government is taking preventive measures ahead of general elections slated for May this year where the current PM will contest for a second term.

In its circular on Thursday, the parliamentary committee on information technology, chaired by Anurag Thakur, a lawmaker from the BJP, said the committee shall hear views of officials from Facebook and its units on March 6 on the subject of “safeguarding citizens’ rights on social or online news media platforms.”

However, the dates were not related yet nor did the panel made it clear whether it has asked Indian or global executives of the three firms to appear.

Social media giant Facebook has declined to comment, while WhatsApp and Instagram did not respond to request for comment.

The panel had previously summoned social network Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey to appear on Monday.

“These are issues for all Internet services globally,” Twitter replied on Friday, adding that Colin Crowell, its global vice president of public policy, is to meet the panel on Monday.

Meanwhile, Google has launched a programme to train journalists for online verification and fact checking before the polls.