Bangladesh engages Meta to curb election-time disinformation

Bangladesh has engaged Meta, the parent company of Facebook, at the highest level to counter misinformation and disinformation ahead of the upcoming general election and the referendum scheduled for 12 February, Chief Adviser's Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi said today.

The engagement took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where Siddiqi held meetings with senior leadership of Meta to discuss platform-level measures to address election-related disinformation.

"On the sidelines of the WEF meeting, I held a meeting with Facebook, now Meta, at the highest level, particularly focusing on how Meta can act against disinformation and misinformation ahead of the upcoming elections," Siddiqi said while briefing the media at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

Siddiqi said the discussions covered both anticipatory measures ahead of polling and real-time actions during the election period, including protocols for responding to coordinated misinformation campaigns and content that could incite unrest.

He noted that Meta is considering options such as restricting or shutting down specific pages or accounts if they are found to be spreading content that threatens public order or undermines the electoral process.

According to the special envoy, a high-level protocol is already under development to guide coordination between Meta and Bangladeshi authorities, and Meta has begun working closely with the Election Commission on the issue.

"The importance of this matter is fully understood by Meta at the highest levels, and there is complete awareness across its senior leadership," Siddiqi said, adding that the company's enforcement mechanisms related to real-time disinformation control and election integrity tools are being aligned with the needs of the Election Commission.

He also said that workshops on Meta's election-related tools have already been conducted or are currently under way to strengthen institutional capacity in identifying and responding to online misinformation.

Further detailed discussions are expected to take place in an upcoming meeting involving Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Siddiqi added.

The engagement with Meta comes amid heightened concerns globally over the role of social media platforms in influencing electoral outcomes through the spread of false or misleading information, particularly during politically sensitive periods.

Bangladesh has previously raised concerns about online misinformation during elections, with authorities stressing the need for closer cooperation with global technology platforms to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes.

In addition to Meta, Siddiqi said he also held a separate meeting with PayPal during the WEF Annual Meeting, seeking the global payments company's engagement in Bangladesh.

He clarified that PayPal has expressed interest in entering the Bangladeshi market and is preparing to initiate its internal processes for market entry. However, he cautioned against portraying this as an imminent development.

"PayPal has shown interest in Bangladesh and is going to start internal processes, but this should not be misreported as immediate entry, as they follow a lengthy procedure to enter any market," Siddiqi said.

According to Siddiqi, PayPal officials indicated that improvements in governance, stronger leadership at the central bank, and ongoing reforms in the banking sector have contributed to a significant reduction in Bangladesh's overall risk profile.

He said these factors have helped position Bangladesh more favourably in the assessments of global financial and technology firms considering market entry.