Why the new Koo app is important for India?
The need for this article or opinion arose when I saw some sections of society criticising or ridiculing the 2020 home grown award winner social media app- Koo. An alternative to Twitter, Koo is used in the similar way of expressing one’s opinion in a limited word manner.
The monopoly of Twitters and Facebooks of the world
Back home, left liberals are crying over the ‘yet to come’ monopoly of Adanis and Ambanis. To some extent, a majority of us would agree to the concern. But when the same analogy is extended to the intangible social media, opinions change to that of Govt. vs. Anti-govt. Twitter and Facebook are now the main source of information to almost everybody on Earth. Such is the power of these platforms that it can form opinions, change ideologies, mindsets, cause ruckus and riots and also help you find your schoolmates. We all know the impact it had on US elections. It is not difficult to imagine that my certain clicks can tag my profile and bombard me with information specific to that content till the time it gets engrossed in my brain. Now extrapolate that to days, weeks, months and years of bombardment! It is the scariest thing!
Can you imagine what Jack Dorsey or Mark Zuckerburg can do to democratic nations where these platforms are the only ones in the industry? Especially when the largest user base is in a country like India?
India has always used the power of its talent as well as domestic market to have a very strong dominance in some industries- IT and Pharmaceutical to name. Hence, it makes total sense to tap the vast potential of already digitally equipped users to expose them to home grown services. What better way to start with social media which is the most powerful tool in the world. Leverage the Indian market to an extent that the push is felt by the market leaders. I would give 10/10 to the govt. for promoting this push in such a critical and strategic space. I would repeat again — The need for the govt. to step in places which is the most powerful influential tool is undoubtedly relevant and needed.
Regulation of Social Media
Can you imagine your favourite newspaper (be it the left oriented The Hindu or right wing’s TOI) to publish unverified facts? Can you imagine the headlines that promote hatred and false news in your news media? Yes, unfortunately these are prevalent in today’s TV channels also, but thanks to the regulation and the courts that we have filed cases against the likes of Sudarshan TV.
Now come to the Digital platforms of Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and others. Today, anyone with money and technical skills can literally start a war by indulging social media army and bots to spread fake news faster than a forest fire. And yes, this applies to the infamous BJP IT cell as well. The larger point is the regulation of this channel. Free speech does not mean promoting unverified facts. By free speech I cannot comment blindly that #SomeUSPresidentIsGoingForAGenocide . Do you imagine what this can turn out into? If Twitter claims to be the tech leader of the world, then they should have the technology to deter such false facts as well. If not, then govts. have to step in.
If there is wide spread use of alternative apps to Twitter and Facebook, it becomes easy for govts. across the world to pressurise them to act positively in such scenarios and also come under the ambit of regulation. Today, because you do not have any other option, hence these applications behave like God. It is important to know and understand that freedom of speech is not being taken away. The problem is only with unverified facts and hate speech.
The issue with Koo
It is being believed, and rightly as well, that Koo is the answer by the Indian Govt. to Twitter for not acting against their critics. In future if Koo only acts as per the wishes of govt, then definitely it is a problem and as a citizen of a democratic country, I would not agree to it. But I cannot just look at one side of the coin. Today the larger issue is with a media that has global outreach and power to influence. To counter that, successful alternatives is the need of the hour. And there lies the ultimate decision of ‘For’ and ‘Against’. In this scenario, as a common man, I believe that the other side of the coin has more weight and thus I would promote and welcome Koo.
