Taking down ‘fake news’
The spread of false and misleading information through social media platforms is, undoubtedly, a menace to any democratic country. But in what way is the move (Page 1, “Online platforms must take down PIB-flagged ‘fake news’, April 7) announced by the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology going to address the problem? It is not even clear how independent and insulated the agency responsible for classifying “fake news” is going to be from the Union government. If the attitude of this government toward criticism in mainstream media is any yardstick, one cannot rule out the possibility of sophisticated ‘find and delete schemes’ behind the scenes for image-laundering purposes in the name of the elimination of “fake news”, especially during election time. Ultimately, voters should not be starved of critical information about the government.
A. Venkatasubramanian,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
Online fraud
It is unfortunate that people continue to fall prey to online fraudsters despite warnings (“1930 helpline stands between online fraudsters and gullible customers: ₹306 cr. saved since 2021”, April 3). The main reason for people being cheated appears to be a lack of awareness about fraudsters and their intentions. Newspapers do report such incidents of fraud, but this may not be of much use with the newspaper reading habit on the decline. The government must direct ‘in vogue’ social media platforms to compulsorily give wide publicity to online frauds. With digital technology fast becoming an integral part of everyone’s life, the chances for fraud are also increasing. Awareness is a must.
Kosaraju Chandramouli,
Hyderabad
Political crossover
The political move by ‘newcomer to the BJP’, Anil Antony, may not be politically significant to the Congress party, with the exception that Mr. Antony is the son of a very senior and admired leader in the Congress. There is no written rule that father and child should share the same political ideology. A.K. Antony could have gracefully dismissed his son’s political act and strengthened his party’s stance.
Sanath Kumar T.S.,
Thrissur, Kerala
The Bharatiya Janata Party may think it is being very clever by getting Anil Antony to switch sides in order to influence the Christian vote in Kerala. But it is like packaging the same bar of soap with a new wrapper — it is just fooling the public. The Congress also needs to look at why it is becoming a recruitment agency for the BJP.
Devadas V.,
Talap, Kannur, Kerala
Veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony is said to be very disappointed on hearing about the political decision of his son to join the BJP. On the other hand, the young Antony is of the opinion that many leaders in the Congress think their dharma is to work for the family while his dharma is to work for the nation. Politics is a marriage of convenience and opportunities, whether it is for a senior or a junior. There are also many families where members follow different political ideologies.
A.P. Thiruvadi,
Chennai
It is evident that the BJP is making all-out efforts to woo Christian voters in Kerala and Anil Antony’s entry into that BJP is an embarrassment for the Congress; it is possibly a setback too. Anil Antony may not be a tall leader by himself, but his importance lies in his being the son of a senior Congress leader who is seen to be a trusted adviser of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.
Akhilesh Krishnan,
Vashi, Maharashtra
#Letters #Editor #April
