Warning Tags on Rahul, Priyanka Videos: Congress Accuses YouTube of ‘Playing Into Hands’ of Modi Govt
New Delhi: The Congress has accused YouTube of “playing into the hands” of the Narendra Modi government after the platform added “self harm” tags to a video of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's speeches in Telangana’s Mulugu on October 18.
The live address of the Gandhis on the YouTube page states: “The following content may contain suicide or self harm topics. Viewer discretion is advised.”
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Congress MP and general secretary media in-charge Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday that the disclaimer added by YouTube, which is owned by Google, shows that “the messages of the Opposition were being suppressed.”
He said that by putting a warning tagline on their speeches, “that the content ‘may contain suicide or self-harm topics’, YouTube has proved beyond any doubt that it is playing into the hands of India’s ruling dispensation which has been desperately trying to block the messaging from the Opposition.”
Only a few days ago, the Washington Post revealed how social media platforms including @YouTube were playing into the hands of the ruling dispensation in India. The article had also mentioned that the messages of the Opposition were being suppressed.
Today, @YouTubeIndia has… pic.twitter.com/vwrsv3f3wV
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 19, 2023
“Will Google, which owns YouTube, explain what is 'suicidal or self-harming' in their speeches? Will now raising issues that matter to the people be censored?
“We have written to them in the past and we will keep raising our voice in the future for a level-playing field and an unbiased approach from global social media companies—a critical necessity today for free and fair elections in India and all over the world.”
Last week, the opposition INDIA bloc wrote a letter to Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai over their social media platforms’ alleged role in “aiding communal hatred” in the country and demanded that the platforms maintain neutrality in the upcoming elections.
The letters came after the Washington Post published a series of reports which claimed that Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube had failed to control communal and Hindutva content, often generated by those associated – either directly or loosely – with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Citing the Post report titled "He live-streamed his attacks on Indian Muslims. YouTube gave him an award" about the role of YouTube in "propagating communal hatred and dividing the country", the INDIA bloc letter to Pichai said that Google and specifically YouTube is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India.
"Further we have data that shows algorithmic moderation and suppression of opposition leaders' content on your platform while also promoting ruling party content,” the letter said.
“Such blatant partisanship and bias towards one political formation by a private foreign company is tantamount to interfering in India's democracy, one that we in the INDIA alliance cannot but take seriously.”
Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge also accused YouTube of “preventing users from engaging with democratic voices.”
Hello @YouTubeIndia and @GoogleIndia,
This is quite intriguing.
You have categorized the public speeches of @RahulGandhi ji and @priyankagandhi ji as related to self-harm and suicide. Are you actively discouraging, dissuading and preventing viewers from engaging with democratic… pic.twitter.com/PPJsA6Qys8
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) October 19, 2023
“If you are succumbing to pressure from the Central Government in making these decisions, keep in mind that the State Government is equally adept at this kind of maneuvering,” he wrote on X on Thursday.
“Furthermore, I'm eagerly waiting to listen and learn from you about the categorization of a LIVE RALLY as self-harming or suicidal, even before the speakers have spoken a single word.”
YouTube policy states that it does "not allow content on YouTube that promotes suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders, that is intended to shock or disgust, or that poses a considerable risk to viewers.”
In her speech Priyanka Gandhi had referred to a woman who died by suicide in the state.
"The situation in the state is such that 40 lakh youth are unemployed. BRS promised to give jobs to every family. Today lakhs of posts are lying vacant but jobs have not been given. Such is the situation that there is corruption even in the application process. A young girl killed herself and even on her questions were raised that she had not filled the application form. Instead of understanding the youth's problems fingers are pointed at them but their problems are not solved.”
The BJP on Friday has hit out at the Congress's accusations and asked the party "to look within." In a statement on X, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said that a " bad craftsman always blames his tools for poor outcome."
This article went live on October twentieth, two thousand twenty three, at thirty minutes past three in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
