Interim govt urges Meta to curb content inciting violence, election disruption

The interim government has formally urged Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to take urgent action against Bangladesh-related content that tends to incite violence, disrupt the upcoming national election, and encourage attacks on media institutions.

In a letter sent on Friday (20 December), the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) asked Meta to enforce stricter moderation of Facebook posts that promote violence and intimidation, and to place Bangladesh-related content under heightened monitoring until the completion of the election and referendum scheduled for 12 February.

The government warned that Facebook has increasingly been used to spread calls for large-scale violence and efforts to sabotage the electoral process amid Bangladesh's ongoing political transition.

According to the letter, the country remains in a fragile state following the 2024 July Uprising, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 students and left thousands injured. During this period, social media platforms, particularly Facebook, have played a significant role in escalating tensions and translating online incitement into real-world violence.

The NCSA also expressed concern over online posts that allegedly encouraged attacks on journalists and media houses. The letter referenced incidents in which individuals linked to the former regime publicly endorsed violence, followed by the recent incident of vandalism and arson attacks on major media organisations, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.

"Despite repeated requests from different government and civil sources, Meta didn't cooperate with us to deactivate accounts found to be responsible for inciting and mobilising violence," the letter said.

The agency stressed that the unchecked dissemination of violence-inciting content poses a direct threat to national stability, media freedom, minority safety, and public order. It noted that a list of Facebook posts explicitly or implicitly calling for mob violence was attached to the communication, many of which had been reported through official channels but not acted upon promptly.

As Meta does not maintain a local office in Bangladesh, the government said regulatory communications are routed through the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in coordination with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the NCSA. The letter cited the recently approved Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, which mandates the NCSA to intervene in such cases.

In the letter, the interim government urged Meta to acknowledge its responsibility to prevent platform misuse, strengthen Bengali-language moderation and contextual review, take immediate action against content inciting violence, and maintain special monitoring of Bangladesh-related content at least until the election concludes.

Calling the matter one of "national importance", the NCSA said Bangladesh has not experienced a genuinely participatory election for more than 17 years, and warned that the credibility of the upcoming polls is closely tied to public safety, democratic rights, and long-term stability.

The letter was addressed to senior Meta officials responsible for public policy and human rights, seeking urgent cooperation to prevent further escalation of violence and protect press freedom during the election period.