LI Network
Published on: December 28, 2023 at 18:33 IST
The Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) established under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, has directed Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to take down a fake interview of veteran journalist Karan Thapar from the platform.
This decision comes after Facebook initially rejected the request for removal, claiming that the posts did not violate its community guidelines.
The fake interview in question utilized Thapar’s image to promote a fraudulent money-making scheme. In response to an appeal filed through Dua Associates against Facebook’s refusal to remove the posts, the GAC emphasized that promoting or endorsing get-rich-quick schemes constitutes a violation of community guidelines due to fraudulent nature.
In its order dated December 12, the GAC highlighted Meta’s conflicting statements. Although Meta initially asserted that the posts did not violate community guidelines, it later questioned the existence of the URL and resolution of screenshots provided by the complainant.
The GAC found Meta’s subsequent claim to be without a basis, as the Grievance Officer was already aware of the specific URL links when stating that the posts did not contravene Facebook’s community guidelines.
Considering Rule 3 (1) (b) (v) of the IT Rules, 2021, which prohibits intermediaries like Facebook from hosting “….any misinformation or information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature,” the GAC issued the following directives:
- The immediate removal of the fake interview of Mr. Karan Thapar as highlighted by the appellant.
- Meta is advised to handle complaints/appeals with due diligence.
The GAC urged Facebook’s Grievance Officer to act promptly on these directives and confirm the actions taken. Dua Associates, represented by Partner Munawwar Naseem and Senior Associate Sanjna Dua, appeared on behalf of Karan Thapar.
