Facebook’s India policy head Ankhi Das quits, to pursue public service

Ankhi Das, the India coverage head of Facebook who allegedly opposed blocking of right-wing hate content material, has give up the corporate, in accordance with an official assertion on Tuesday. She determined to step down from her function in Facebook to pursue her curiosity in public service, added the assertion.

“Ankhi has decided to step down from her role in Facebook to pursue her interest in public service. Ankhi was one of our earliest employees in India and played an instrumental role in the growth of the company and its services over the last 9 years,” Facebook’s Managing Director India Ajit Mohan mentioned in an e-mailed assertion.

Das confronted allegations of opposing enforcement of hate-speech guidelines in opposition to BJP and different right-wing leaders. She was additionally accused of posting messages in help of the BJP for a number of years on a Facebook group of the corporate’s staff. Her resignation happened two-and-a-half-months after she first shot into the limelight because of the allegations.

Over 40 human rights and web watchdog organisations had known as on Facebook to put Das on go away till the corporate finishes conducting an ongoing audit of its India operations. Das had joined Facebook in 2011. Ajit Mohan mentioned: “She has been a part of my leadership team over the last 2 years, a role in which she has made enormous contributions. We are grateful for her service and wish her the very best for the future”.

Das, on her departure, mentioned she had determined to step down from Facebook “to pursue my personal interest in public service”. “When I joined Facebook in 2011, internet growth in the country was woefully low and I often wondered how social and economic asymmetries will be addressed. We were a small unlisted startup back then guided only by our mission and purpose to connect people in India. After nine long years, I feel that mission has largely been met,” she mentioned.

Facebook didn’t hyperlink her departure to tales round her controversial stand however mentioned Tuesday was her final day on the firm. “I have decided to step down from Facebook after long service to its mission of connecting people and building communities to pursue my personal interest in public service,” she mentioned in her departure message.

She thanked Mark Zuckerberg for creating “something beautiful for the world.” “This is a special company and a special group of people,” she wrote. “I hope I have served you and the company well”. “I know we will be in touch on Facebook,” she added.

The controversy round her started on August 15 when The Wall Street Journal report alleged that Ankhi Das had blocked motion in opposition to leaders related to the BJP and different Hindutva teams. According to the report, a day earlier than the BJP received the 2014 Parliamentary elections, Das had written: “We lit a fire to his social media campaign and the rest is of course history.”

She additionally wrote that PM Modi was the ‘strongman’ who had damaged the previous ruling get together’s maintain. “It’s taken thirty years of grassroots work to rid India of state socialism finally,” she wrote in one other put up about Congress. The Wall Street Journal additionally reported that Ankhi Das had educated the BJP for its social media marketing campaign for the 2012 Assembly polls. After the coaching, she wrote: ‘Success in our Gujarat Campaign’.

The report additional added: “When a fellow staffer noted in response to one of her internal posts that the BJP’s primary opponent, the Indian National Congress, had a larger following on Facebook than Mr Modi’s individual page, Ms Das responded: ‘Don’t diminish him by comparing him with INC. Ah well? let my bias not show!!!'”.