Facebook "censors" Kisan Ekta Morcha farmers' protest
Facebook "censors" Kisan Ekta Morcha farmers' protest
Occurred: December 2020
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Facebook faced criticism for allegedly censoring content related to the Kisan Ekta Morcha farmers' protest in India, raising concerns about freedom of expression.
Facebook was seen to have temporarily censored the Kisan Ekta Morcha page due to an automated system error that flagged the page as "spam."ย
Kisan Ekta Morcha advocates for farmers' rights and reforms in agricultural laws.
The incident occurred after a significant increase in activity on the page, including a live broadcast by protest leader Yogendra Yadav announcing an indefinite hunger strike.ย
The page was blocked for approximately three hours before being restored following public outcry.ย
Facebook also reportedly deleted numerous posts and accounts linked to the Kisan Ekta Morcha, claiming they violated community standards.
Critics alleged that that the Indian government pressured Facebook and other social media platforms to restrict content that was critical of its policies or supportive of protests.ย
The "censorship" sparked debates about the implications for digital activism in India, as many activists rely on social media to organise and mobilise support for their causes.ย
The situation highlighted the tension between governmental control and the right to free speech online.
2020โ2021 Indian farmers' protest
The 2020โ2021 Indian farmers' protest was a protest against three farm acts that were passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020.
Source: Wikipedia ๐
Facebook content moderation system
Operator: Facebook users
Developer: Facebook
Country: India
Sector: Agriculture; Politics
Purpose: Moderate content
Technology: Content moderation system; Machine learning
Issue: Accuracy/reliability; Human/civil rights
Freedom House. Freedom on the Net 2022 - India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/farmers-protest-facebook-clarifies-kisan-ekta-morcha-page-was-marked-spam-for-increased-activity/articleshow/79839388.cms
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/farmers-protest-facebooks-defence-as-kisan-ekta-morchas-protest-page-was-briefly-taken-down-2341522
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/facebook-blocked-kisan-ekta-morcha-page-says-farmers-group
https://thewire.in/agriculture/facebook-blocks-kisan-ekta-morcha-account-restores-it-later-after-user-outrage
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/facebook-bans-kisan-ekta-morcha-page-restores-after-outrage/articleshow/79828402.cms
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/protesting-farmers-facebook-page-taken-down/article33380493.ece
https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/facebook-unpublishes-kisan-ekta-morchas-page-during-yogendra-yadavs-live-restores-later.html
https://in.news.yahoo.com/facebook-instagram-accounts-protesting-farmers-154326393.html
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/social-media-accounts-of-farmers-forum-blocked-restored-after-uproar-187134
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Type: Incident
Published: October 2024