The meeting today was a follow-up of the recent ban on multiple Youtube channels.
A meeting between executives from social media giants Google, Twitter and Facebook and Information ministry officials on content moderation and fake news control today, got prickly as the government strongly put its views forward.
Officials said the tech giants take immediate action when it comes to their own commercial interests. But when it comes to anti national, provocative and fake news concerning India, they leave it to the government to raise the issue. This is having a negative spin-off, with the international community getting the impression that the Indian government is harsh on social media.
The meeting today was a follow-up of the recent ban on multiple Youtube channels, many of which the government said, were from Pakistan and were spreading anti-India propaganda.
"In other countries, they have a mechanism to deal with such complaints. But in India they expect the government to raise the matter instead of taking suo motu action," an official said after a meeting with executives from Google, Twitter and Facebook.
"The government has to breathe down their necks and this sends a message to the international community that the Indian government is pressurising them. This should end," the official said.
Government officials denied that there was any heated argument in the meeting, as was reported in a section of the media. But they admitted that they had put forward their point of view "strongly".
In December, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry ordered the blocking of 20 YouTube channels and two websites after discussions with intelligence agencies, which said they were spreading anti-India propaganda and fake news.
The channels and websites belonged to a "coordinated disinformation network operating from Pakistan and spreading fake news about various sensitive subjects related to India", the government said.
They were used to post divisive content on topics like Kashmir, Indian Army, minority communities in India, Ram Mandir, General Bipin Rawat, etc, the government said.