Social media company Meta will prevent content spreading ‘communalism, hatred and violence’ on Facebook around the 12th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. On Thursday, August 3, 2023, Ashok Kumar Debnath, Additional Secretary of the Commission said after the EC-Mete meeting at the Election Commission Building in Agargaon that the Meta will start their activities with the help of the EC after the announcement of the polling schedule.
Ashok Kumar Debnath said, we will inform them what appears negative to us, they will remove those contents. Such action will be taken only on election-centric content. The program will start after the announcement of the schedule.
He said that this meeting was held in the interest of the Facebook authorities.
A three-member delegation led by Rujan Sarwar, head of Public Policy for Facebook’s parent company Meta Bangladesh, sat in a meeting with the Additional Secretary of the Election Commission. Aidan Hay and Ejinen Fo appeared on behalf of Meta.
On the other hand, Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath, iDEA Project Director Brigadier General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Sayem and NID System Manager Muhammad Ashraf Hossain were present on behalf of the Election Commission.
The meeting discussed the role of Meta in preventing various types of misinformation on Facebook during elections. After announcing the schedule at the end of the discussion, Facebook wants to work with the Election Commission (EC) to prevent all kinds of rumors, objectionable content and misinformation, said EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath.
He said, we had a meeting with a Facebook team. I sat with the delegation with the technical people we have. Because there were some technical issues here. That was the initial discussion. Later, a focal person of the Election Commission will be appointed to keep in touch with them.
In the meeting, the team was led by Director General of Identity Registration Division and included one representative each from Police Headquarters, Special Branch of Police, RAB, Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) and Senior Maintenance Engineer of Election Commission.
Basically the issue was how to prevent the disinformation that is spread on Facebook. Especially, hateful comments, sectarianism or other violations that occur. They will delete, remove, and block those.
After the meeting, the delegation also met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal.
