Union Ministry of Culture acknowledges separate budget to fund troll farms

Hyderabad: In an embarrassing faux pas, the union Ministry of Culture has unknowingly acknowledged that the Centre is paying to get its initiatives trending on micro-blogging network Twitter, for which there appears to be a separate budget too. This, which is a clear violation of Twitter’s policy on ‘Platform manipulation and spam policy’ (https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/platform-manipulation), was […]

Hyderabad: In an embarrassing faux pas, the union Ministry of Culture has unknowingly acknowledged that the Centre is paying to get its initiatives trending on micro-blogging network Twitter, for which there appears to be a separate budget too.

This, which is a clear violation of Twitter’s policy on ‘Platform manipulation and spam policy’ (https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/platform-manipulation), was revealed in a Request for Proposal (RFP) to take up advertising and media work during Hyderabad Liberation Day between September 15 and 17 issued by the Director of Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Ministry of Culture, which falls under union Minister for Tourism and Culture, G Kishan Reddy.

The RFP mentions ‘Twitter trending on September 17 from 8.30 am onwards’ in the scope of work for agencies that will handle advertisements for the event.

Telangana Digital Media director Konatham Dileep on Friday took to Twitter and tagged Kishan Reddy to highlight the issue.

“How low is too low Kishan Reddy garu? The RFP issued by the Director, CCRTI, for Telangana Liberation Day celebrations, has put ‘Twitter Trending’ in scope of work! So, these days the Govt of India is officially tendering out Twitter Trends too?” he tweeted.

The inclusion of Twitter trends is also a clear indication that efforts to ensure that a topic trends on Twitter, to influence the behaviour of Twitter users, has become a thing now!

Interestingly, the CCRTI is also betting big on various other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to promote Hyderabad Liberation Day under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

In the scope of work, the cultural institution specifically mentions that agencies must promote the Hyderabad Liberation Day across all the social media platforms and buying advertisements in Facebook and Instagram.

Apart from that, the CCRIT has also specifically mentions cutouts of Sardar Patel that will be placed across the city.

Inadvertently, the RFP also gives up the strategy of employing social media influencers to ensure a topic trends on such platforms. In its scope of work, the CCRIT says that promotions will be taken up through regional social medial influencers, who will be available in Facebook and YouTube live channels.

While promotions are allowed, paying to get an initiative trending on Twitter is undoubtedly against its policy on ‘Platform manipulation and spam policy’, which under the sub-head ‘Hashtags’ says ‘using a trending or popular hashtag with an intent to subvert or manipulate a conversation or to drive traffic or attention to accounts, websites, products, services, or initiatives’ and ‘Tweeting with excessive, unrelated hashtags in a single Tweet or across multiple Tweets’ is a violation.

 

 

How low is too low @kishanreddybjp garu? the RFP issued by Director, CCRTI, @MinOfCultureGoI for Telangana Liberation Day celebrations, has put “Twitter Trending” in Scope of Work!

So, these days Govt of India is officially tendering out Twitter Trends too? @TwitterIndia pic.twitter.com/SJS8LSYr4y

— Konatham Dileep (@KonathamDileep) September 9, 2022