"It Is Time Meta Establishes Responsible Translation System": Siddaramaiah
"It is time Meta puts in place better and more responsible translation systems," the Karnataka CM posted on X.
"Meta/Facebook has often previously faced similar issues globally for such auto-translation errors -- including in Myanmar (2018), Palestine (2017), and most recently in Malaysia (2024) -- where poor translations led to serious miscommunication and public backlash," he added.
Siddaramaiah demanded that a responsible translation system be established for users on Facebook to avoid mistranslations of regional languages, including Kannada.
"Facebook has been in operation for nearly two decades and has a vast user base in India, including a large number of Kannada-speaking users. Despite this, it is unfortunate that a sound and reliable translation system has not been put in place. We hope this concern is taken seriously," he added.
His remarks come after Facebook's auto-translation feature mistranslated one of his posts on Facebook.
"On July 15, I paid my respects to the mortal remains of the late B. Saroja Devi - a moment of deep personal and public sorrow. A post about this was shared in Kannada from the official Chief Minister of Karnataka Facebook page. Unfortunately, some people saw a wrong English translation of that post by default on their Facebook feed. The post was written only in Kannada. No English version was posted, and no auto-translation was added or requested from our side," Siddaramaiah informed.
He said that Facebook doesn't provide avenues to content creators to manage the auto-translation feature for their posts.
"Facebook's translation feature shows up on user feeds based on their settings, and content creators have no way to disable or control the auto-translation feature on viewers feed. In many cases, Facebook shows auto-translated versions of posts by default in user feeds. The original Kannada post remains unchanged and can be viewed by selecting 'See original' option," Siddaramaiah said.
The Chief Minister added that his Media Advisor has also formally written to Meta regarding the situation.
"My Media Advisor has formally written to Meta urging immediate correction. Social media platforms must act responsibly. I caution citizens to be aware that translations shown are often inaccurate. Such negligence by tech giants can harm public understanding & trust," he wrote.
Meanwhile, a formal complaint has been sent by KV Prabhakar, Media Advisor to the Chief Minister, via email to Meta's India team. The letter noted that Kannada-to-English translations on Meta platforms are often "frequently inaccurate and, in some cases, grossly misleading."
The email read, "We have noted with concern that the auto-translation from Kannada to English is frequently inaccurate and, in some cases, grossly misleading. This poses a significant risk, especially when public communications, official statements, or important messages from the Chief Minister and the Government are incorrectly translated."
It continued, "It can lead to misinterpretation among users, many of whom may not realise that what they are reading is an automated and faulty translation rather than the original message."
Subsequently, Prabhakar urged Meta to temporarily suspend the auto-translation feature for Kannada content, citing the sensitivity of public communication from constitutional functionaries, such as the Chief Minister.
The letter reads, "Given the sensitivity of public communication, especially from a constitutional functionary like the Chief Minister, such misrepresentations due to flawed translation mechanisms are unacceptable. On behalf of the Chief Minister, we urge Meta to temporarily suspend the auto-translation feature for Kannada content until the translation accuracy is reliably improved and collaborate with qualified Kannada language experts and linguistic professionals to enhance the quality and contextual accuracy of translations between Kannada and English."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Macrons sue American podcaster: The ‘Brigitte is a man' theory, and a rise in ‘transvestigation'
In a rare defamation lawsuit, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have accused American right-wing podcaster Candace Owens of spreading 'outlandish, defamatory and far-fetched fictions' against France's First Lady. In the suit, filed in the US state of Delaware on July 23, the Macrons said that Owens has used the false statement that Brigitte was 'in fact a man' to 'promote her independent platform, gain notoreity, and make money'. The lawsuit added that though they served Owens several retraction demands, presenting her the opportunity to retract her false claims, she chose to ignore them. The dubious claims regarding Brigitte's gender first appeared in public in 2021, in the run-up to the 2022 French Presidential elections. Since then, several far-right conspiracy theorists have fanned the rumours, especially on social media. The significant age gap between Macron has been another target of rumours. Let's take a closer look at the controversy surrounding the Macrons. In the court filings, the Macrons have said that a self-described independent journalist, Natasha Rey, first posted the claim that Brigitte was transgender and had stolen a woman's identity in a since-deleted Facebook post in May 2021. Rey went on to work with another investigative journalist, Xavier Poussard, and co-wrote publications regarding Brigitte's 'biological sex'. She then appeared in a YouTube video with Amadine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium. Rey repeated the claim that Brigitte was born as Jean-Michel Trogneux and had stolen the identity of Brigitte Trogneux. Jean-Michel is the First Lady's biological brother. Several conspiracy theorists have shared childhood photos of the siblings to claim similarity in their appearances. Rey and Roy also claimed that Brigitte's first husband, whom she was married to between 1974 and 2006, never existed and that she was not the mother of the three children from her first marriage. Who is Candace Owens, and how did she get involved? Owens, often described as a far-right political commentator, has millions of followers across social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. She first made her mark in French politics when she was invited to a right-wing convention in 2019, where she spoke against Macron. Before this, she had gained fame in American right-wing circles. Owens was born on April 29, 1989, in Connecticut. She studied journalism at the University of Rhode Island, but dropped out before completing her degree. She started gaining traction in 2016-17, given that she was a Black conservative who was supporting Donald Trump as President. She went on to work with Turning Point USA, an organisation that supports young conservative activists. She was a staunch advocate for 'Blexit', advising Black Americans to abandon the Democratic Party, for portraying them as 'victims.' She eventually joined The Daily Wire, a right-wing media house founded by Ben Shapiro. Owens was let go from The Daily Wire in 2024, just three years after she joined the organisation, for alleged anti-semitic statements in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Just before she departed from The Daily Wire, Owens published an episode of her talk show fanning the conspiracy theory around Brigitte, bringing global attention to the rumours. She later launched her independent talk show, Candace, on YouTube. In August 2024, she interviewed Poussard about the allegations. The episode was reportedly taken down by YouTube. In February this year, she published an eight-part series called Becoming Brigitte, repeating the claims about the First Lady. Poussard also appears in one of the episodes. She alleged that Macron and Brigitte were blood relatives and made even more baseless claims that Macron was a product of a CIA programme called 'MK Ultra' that brainwashed people to create 'Manchurian candidates' (someone who acts against the interests of their country under the influence of another country). How have the Macrons responded? Brigitte had filed a libel complaint against Rey and Roy after they published their video in December 2021. In September last year, a lower court had ordered the two women to pay €8,000 in damages to Brigitte and €5,000 to her brother. But an appeals court overturned the decision earlier this month. Brigitte has now taken the fight to France's highest appeals court. In the court filing for their lawsuit against Owens, the couple have denied all charges, and stated that in official retraction demands, they have explicitly confirmed to Owens that Brigitte was a biological woman, that she and the President were not related, and that he has not participated in any government 'mind-control programmes'. In May, when a video of Brigitte seemingly shoving Macron aboard their plane during a trip to Vietnam went viral, the President addressed the online misinformation targeting them. 'I see many crazies spending a lot of time interpreting these videos,' Macron said, clarifying that he and his wife were just joking around. In the court document, the Macrons have said that they have been a subject of a 'campaign of global humiliation'. 'Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications. It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust,' the document read. 'Faced with this relentless and unjustified smear campaign, the Macrons are left with no choice but to seek relief through this Court to set the record straight, and prevent further harm,' it added. The Macrons have elaborated on their relationship as well. The document stated that Macron met Brigitte, who was a teacher and a mother of three at the time, as a high school student. They shared a passion for literature and theatre, and formed a 'deeper intellectual bond'. The document clarifies, 'At all times, the teacher-student relationship between Mrs. Macron and President Macron remained within the bounds of the law.' A rise in 'transvestigation' Brigitte is not alone in facing the slew of online hatred and disinformation campaigns around her gender. According to GLAAD, a non-profit LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation, several public figures are targeted by hate-driven conspiracy theories that accuse them of being 'transgender', sparking pseudo-scientific 'investigations' into their appearance, conduct and past. This is referred to as 'transvestigation'. Former First Lady of the US Michelle Obama, pop star Taylor Swift, tennis player Serena Williams, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, among others, have also been targets of this malicious online campaign. These so-called transvestigators subscribe to beliefs rooted in transphobia, building on prejudices against the transgender community. They often use these allegations to discredit and ridicule women or men in positions of power, spark defamatory gossip about popular celebrities, and body-shame. Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Disrespecting Marathi ‘will not be tolerated': Amid rising tensions, Ajit Pawar urges respect for languages
Amid rising incidents of people being assaulted over speaking Marathi, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar on Thursday called for greater respect for the state's language and culture, particularly from those who have migrated from other parts of India. Addressing the issue publicly in Mumbai, Pawar emphasised that while India is a diverse and multilingual country, every state has its own linguistic identity that must be honoured. 'In every state, the language of that particular region is important and should be respected and given priority,' Pawar said. 'At the same time, India is one nation. Outside our home states, Hindi is widely spoken, followed by English. This is the scenario across the country — from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari,' he added. The statement was made against the backdrop of the state seeing several incidents of individuals being assaulted over speaking Marathi. This week itself, a student in Navi Mumbai and an attendant at the Nanded state transport bus stand were assaulted over the language issue. On his part, Pawar reiterated that Marathi holds the status of a classical language, underscoring its historical and cultural significance. He stated that while newcomers to Maharashtra are not expected to be fluent in Marathi, they should at least make an effort to learn and show respect for it. 'If someone who cannot speak Marathi says, 'We live here but cannot speak Marathi well, and our mother tongue is Hindi—but we respect Marathi and we are trying to learn,' then that is acceptable. If only this much is said, there would be no problem at all,' Pawar said. 'But if someone adamantly says, 'We will not speak Marathi,' that cannot be tolerated or accepted,' he added. Pawar clarified that his appeal is not about forcing anyone to abandon their native language, but about encouraging mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. 'You work here, live here—think about the local people, the Maharashtrians, and what they expect. This way, we can all live happily together,' he concluded. Asked about the statement made by Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan over the Marathi issue, Pawar said that posts like those of the governor and President of India are senior positions, and it would not be appropriate for him to speak about it. At a function on Tuesday, Radhakrishnan had stressed the need to stay away from spreading linguistic hatred, saying it would harm the state and affect industry and investments. 'If you come and beat me up, can I speak in Marathi immediately?' he had asked, saying, 'In the long run, we are doing harm to the state.'
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
MNS workers now assault toilet attendant for not speaking in Marathi: ‘What will you do?' — viral video
Incidents of violence over language continue to make headlines in Maharashtra, with yet another man reportedly assaulted for refusing to speak Marathi. The latest case comes from Nanded, where workers allegedly linked to Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) confronted and slapped a public toilet attendant after he refused to converse in Marathi. A video of the incident has surfaced online. It shows a Marathi-speaking man questioning a toilet attendant at the central bus stand in Nanded for charging women ₹ 5 to use the facility. The man, who was recording the exchange, insisted the attendant speak in Marathi. In the video, the attendant is heard responding, 'I won't speak in Marathi. What will you do?' According to reports, the man filming the conversation later lodged a complaint with the bus stand authorities and also sent the footage to local MNS workers. A group of MNS members then confronted the attendant, slapped him, and forced him to publicly apologise for refusing to use the local language. This incident adds to a growing list of similar attacks in the recent past, all allegedly linked to MNS's long-standing push for the use of Marathi in public spaces across the state. Earlier this month, a shopkeeper in Mumbai was caught on camera being assaulted for not speaking Marathi. In Palghar, an auto-rickshaw driver was publicly beaten over the same issue. On July 1, MNS workers were seen slapping a street food vendor for his refusal to speak the language. The Marathi language issue came into the spotlight earlier this month during protests by the MNS and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), who claimed there was a 'Hindi imposition' in Maharashtra under the excuse of enforcing the three-language policy. The situation escalated in Thane when MNS workers slapped a shopkeeper several times after he questioned them about why speaking in Marathi should be compulsory.
