New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT) on Monday raised the issue of hacking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter account.

New Delhi Nov 29 PTI Some members of a parliamentary panel looking into the issue of hate speech on Facebook on Monday expressed the view that whistle-blowers Sophie Zhang and Frances Haugen who have flagged bias and lack of proper regulation on the social media platform be called to depose before it sources said Top officials of Facebook India including its Public Policy Director Shivnath Thukral on Monday deposed before the panel on the subject of safeguarding citizens rights and prevention of misuse of socialonline news media platforms including special emphasis on women security In the meeting some members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology asked them questions about hate speech in reference to the dossiers shared by Zhang with the committee sources said adding that the parliamentarians did not get convincing response from the executives of the social media giant The members asked specific questions about the kind of mechanism and system the company has in place to identify and remove hate speech content from its various platforms they said During the meeting many members took the view that both whistle-blowers be called before the panel to brief it about their findings they said The panel is exploring the possibility of calling the whistle-blowers and is likely to seek the Lok Sabha Speakers permission they said Haugen a former Facebook data scientist-turned-whistle-blower has alleged that the social network giants products harm children and fuel polarisation in the United States She had testified before the US Senate Committee Zhang also a former Facebook data scientist has reportedly shared a dossier with the panel about the companys alleged unethical working She also reportedly had alleged that there was a politically sophisticated attempt to influence the February 2020 Delhi elections Responding to the charge that neither Parliament nor the government has called the Facebook whistle-blowers panel chairman Shashi Tharoor had said in a series of tweets last month that the committee would hold its first meeting after its constitution in November As video-conferencing not permitted under the procedures testimony in person by witnesses from abroad requires the Speakers consent and it is being sought he had said PTI JTR SMN

New Delhi Nov 27 PTI Top executives of Facebook India are expected to depose before a parliamentary panel chaired by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology is scheduled to meet on Monday to hear the views of the representatives of Facebook India on the subject of safeguarding citizens rights and prevention of misuse of socialonline news media platforms according to a notice issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat The meeting will also deliberate on the security of women in the digital space especially on social media Top officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will also depose before the panel on the same issue according to the notice The panel has held several meetings on the subject and had summoned top executives of various social media platforms PTI JTR SMN SMN

New Delhi Oct 27 PTI Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said the Supreme Court cannot be stymied by witnesses failure to appear or members refusing to sign attendance register -- the means by which -- the Congress MP alleged the parliamentary panel on IT was thwarted from looking into the Pegasus issueThe remarks by the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology came after the Supreme Court appointed a three-member panel of cyber experts to probe the alleged use of Pegasus spyware for surveillance of certain people in IndiaSupreme Court orders inquiry into GoIs Government of Indias use of Pegasus spyware Just as well the SC cannot be stymied by the failure of witnesses to appear when summoned or members refusing to sign the attendance register -- the means by which the Parl Cmt was thwarted Tharoor tweetedThe Tharoor-headed IT panel was to hold a meeting on July 28 during which several issues including the Pegasus snooping allegations were expected to be discussedIt had also summoned officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Communications Department of Telecommunications on the subject Citizens data security and privacyHowever the meeting could not take place as the BJP members of the panel did not sign the attendance register even though they were present in the meeting room leading to a lack of quorumE-mail communications were received by the committee branch of the secretariat on July 28 afternoon from the three ministriesdepartment that their representatives would not be able to appear before the committee due to Parliament-related workTharoor had written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take action over ministry officials not attending the panel meetingIn a significant verdict over the issue of protecting citizens right to privacy a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana asserted that in a democratic country governed by the rule of law indiscriminate spying on individuals cannot be allowed except with sufficient statutory safeguards by following the procedure established by law under the ConstitutionStating that it was compelled to take up the cause to determine the truth and get to the bottom of the spying allegations the SC said the entire citizenry is affected by these charges due to the potential chilling effect lamenting that no clear stand was taken by the Centre regarding actions taken by it over the Pegasus row PTI ASK NSD NSD

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 9 (ANI): Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology on Wednesday participated in Green India Challenge in Hyderabad's Shiparamam.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 4 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday met members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology at Raj Bhavan here.