Sputnik Opinion
In-depth analysis of regional & global events provided by Indian & foreign experts - from politics & economics to sci-tech & health.

Meta's Crackdown on Russian Media: Should India Be Concerned?

Decades ago, academic Noam Chomsky highlighted in one of his best-selling books how America spread media propaganda. Today, Meta seems to be aligning with the American narrative by blocking Russian media outlets.
Sputnik
META poses a threat to neutrality as it creates a bias towards Western perspectives, particularly in news and geopolitical views, feeding falsehood and ignorance in the process, an Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran has said.

Its platforms put forth the selective projection of the Western/American point of view on critical issues, and those who have questioned this recently, seem to be getting targeted and denied access to the company's platforms, according to Air Marshal (Retd) M. Matheswaran.

"An American billionaire [Mark Zuckerberg] has too much hold over the global public discourse. Even in the US, they target and promote specific ideals. For instance, these social media platforms start targeting anyone critical of Israel's military operation in Gaza, questioning the humanitarian genocide in Palestinian territory, or posing questions to Western governments," the military expert said.

Matheswaran emphasised that platforms like Facebook are ultimately driven by profit and have adjusted their algorithms to further their business interests.

However, Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks are heavily influenced and controlled by the US government. Therefore, if they wish to survive, they must comply with American foreign policy and spread its propaganda, he noted.

"Meta and other social platforms do not care about polarising communities or disrupting social balance in any country, including India. Their sole focus is profit, and therefore, they pose a serious problem for society as a whole. That’s why I believe that the US businessman [Zuckerberg] will soon become a trillionaire, as his only interest is in making money. That's all, as he doesn't care about anything else," remarked the commentator on international relations.

Matheswaran’s comments came in response to Meta's decision to suspend Sputnik India's Instagram account due to alleged "foreign interference activity".
He opined that Meta's decision to ban Sputnik India's Instagram account is bad for the people not just in India but also in the US and the American public should question such actions because they are being targeted with motivated media.
Western media have lost their credibility, and there are very few journalists who can be counted at one's fingertips who have the integrity to maintain their balance and question the American government on these serious issues, he added.
"The American government is actually controlling what people can hear, look into, and read. This way, they are indirectly sort of influencing the people's perception which I believe is a serious problem in this era. Being a democratic country, I think people should start questioning that because a government cannot levy a ban on the freedom of expression as long as somebody's views are not inimical to social balance," the strategic affairs pundit summed up.
Just days ago, reports suggested that Washoington had urged India to sanction Russian media (Sputnik and RT) in the country. Although India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has yet to comment publicly on the matter, national media reports have confirmed that India rebuffed Washington’s calls to silence media organisations from Russia.
"The US seeks to control the flow of information to promote narratives that align with its own point of view, which is why it is pressuring India to ban Russian media outlets," ex-Indian diplomat Talmiz Ahmad said.
*Meta (Instagram, Facebook) banned in Russia as extremist organisation
Sputnik Opinion
Calls For Banning Russian Media in India Expose US Doublespeak
Discuss