Lok Sabha Question No. 2470 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-16
Subject: Automation of Tek Fogg
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Abhishek Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2470

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2022

## AUTOMATION OF TEK FOGG

## 2470. SHRI ABHISHEK BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the Tek Fog application is capable of auto-tweeting and auto-sharing tweets and posts of individuals to create artificial trends on Twitter and;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the Government has investigated as to how many of the above said trends have been engineered between 2020 and 2022;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether the Government is aware that these artificial trends have been tactically deployed around elections to falsely influence narratives; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof;
- (g) whether the Government recognises the need to investigate this unethical tampering of public sentiment; and
- (h) if so, the details of the investigation and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

- (a) to (d):Government has noted the news articles about an App, namely, 'Tek Fog' that has been allegedly used to manipulate social media platforms. The said App is not present at any of the prominent online App Stores  and  APK  stores.  No  technical  vulnerability  that  makes  social  media  intermediaries  susceptible  to manipulation as reported in the news articles have been  reported to or observed by this Ministry.
- (e) to (h):Government is committed to Open, Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet for users. Government is aware of the risk and danger posed by growing phenomena of dissemination of wrong and hateful information through some social media platforms. This Ministry does not track and monitor Apps or content appearing on social media platforms.

Government has taken several steps to address the challenges of user harms and hateful information available on social media intermediaries/ platform. These, inter alia , include:

- (i) In order to ensure accountability of social media platforms to users and enhanced user safety,Government, on  25.02.2021,  has  notified  the  Information  Technology  (Intermediary  Guidelines  and  Digital  Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 under the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. These Rules require that the intermediaries  follow  certain  due  diligence  as  prescribed.  The  said  Rules  provide  for  removal  of  any information/ application violative of any extant law, as and when notified by an appropriate government or its authorized agency.
- (ii) Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 empowers Government to block any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence  of  India,  security  of  the  State,  friendly  relations  with  foreign  states  or  public  order  or  for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above. Blocking is done as per  the  process  specified  in  the  Information  Technology  (Procedure  and  Safeguards  for  Blocking  for Access of Information By Public) Rules, 2009 notified under this section.
- (iii) Further Police and Public Order are a State Subject. The Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) at Centre and States take appropriate legal action as per provisions of law against the cyber crime offenders.

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