NEW DEHLI: According to those familiar with the discussions, Google has severe reservations about establishing a self-regulatory organisation in India to hear user complaints, even though the initiative has the support of Facebook and Twitter.
India proposed in June the formation of a government panel to hear user complaints about content moderation decisions, but has also emphasised that it is open to the idea of a self-regulatory organisation if the industry is prepared to participate.
The absence of agreement among the internet titans, on the other side, enhances the possibility of a government panel being formed, which Meta Platforms Inc’s Facebook and Twitter are anxious to avoid since they are concerned about government and regulatory overreach in India.
At a closed-door conference this week, an executive from Alphabet Inc’s Google told other attendees that the company was sceptical of the merits of a self-regulatory agency. The panel, according to the executive, would include external audits of choices that may require Google to reinstall information even if it violated Google’s own policy.
