In July 2023, the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) in India issued a significantly higher number of orders to social media companies compared to the previous month. According to Meta’s transparency report, which encompasses data for Facebook and Instagram, the platforms received a total of eight GAC orders. Additionally, WhatsApp, a subsidiary of Meta, received five GAC orders. These developments come as part of India’s efforts to regulate and address user grievances related to social media platforms.
Background: The Role of the GAC:
The GAC was established as per an amendment to the IT Rules, 2021, to serve as a regulatory body for users who believe that a social media platform’s designated ‘grievance officer’ has not adequately resolved their complaints. Importantly, the final decisions made by the GAC are legally binding on the platforms. Failure to comply with GAC orders can result in a platform losing its safe harbor protections.
Lack of Transparency:
While the number of GAC orders has increased, there remains a lack of transparency regarding the nature of the complaints that led to these orders. Digital rights advocacy groups, such as the Internet Freedom Foundation and The Dialogue, had previously called for public disclosure of these orders back in April. However, the government has yet to provide details about the GAC’s procedures and its periodic reviews. Moreover, the platform regulation rules in India do not allow for appeals or revisions of GAC orders, as confirmed by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in April.
Key Findings from July’s Transparency Reports:
Increased Complaints: In July, a total of 66,000 complaints were reported across various platforms. WhatsApp received 11,067 grievances, primarily appeals related to account bans. Facebook and Instagram reported 3,200 and 20,146 complaints, respectively, with a notable presence of inappropriate or abusive content. Twitter recorded 2,056 complaints, with 1,783 related to abuse or harassment. Google received 29,603 complaints, primarily regarding copyright issues.
Account Actions: Platforms took actions against accounts and content in response to complaints. WhatsApp banned 7,228,000 accounts. Twitter suspended 48 accounts and took action against 3,712 URLs. Google initiated 113,208 removal actions based on user complaints. Facebook and Instagram both addressed reports, with 5,392 and 5,102 actions taken, respectively.
Hate Crimes: A significant number of hate-related content was reported, totaling 969,900 instances across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Instagram recorded the highest count at 736,000, while Facebook reported 179,900 instances. Twitter documented 54 incidents of hateful conduct.
Suicide and Self-Injury: Instagram and Facebook collectively identified over 3 million pieces of content related to suicide and self-injury in July. Instagram accounted for 2.2 million pieces, while Facebook reported 1.4 million. Twitter reported one complaint associated with the promotion of suicide or self-harm.
Child Abuse Cases: There were 931,100 cases of child abuse content reported. Facebook reported 405,700 cases of child sexual exploitation and 138,000 cases of child nudity and physical abuse. Instagram identified 293,300 cases of child sexual exploitation and 48,400 cases of child nudity and physical abuse. Twitter received 46 complaints of child sexual exploitation and acted upon 58 URLs linked to the same.
In conclusion, the rise in GAC orders and the increasing number of grievances and content violations highlight the ongoing challenges faced by social media platforms in India. As these platforms grapple with user complaints, they continue to address issues related to inappropriate content, hate speech, and child abuse, underscoring the need for robust regulation and content moderation.
