In February 2020, Delhi witnessed one of the worst incidents of communal violence where 53 people, mostly Muslims, were killed, hundreds were injured, and property worth millions was destroyed. While the complicit role of the police, as an instrument of the state, became visible in engendering violence, the role of social media, especially big tech like Meta (formerly Facebook), in exacerbating violence remained imperceptible. Although the preponderance of hate speech and its unbridled reposting on social media is not new or surprising, what merits attention is the way in which the big tech is absolved of its responsibility to be accountable for the social damage caused by its platforms. Yet, during the Delhi Legislative Assembly’s proceedings in 2021, where the chair of the Peace and Harmony Committee asked Facebook India about the steps taken to curb hate speech propagated on its platform and address user’s complaints about the content posted (read more...)