‘Distorting facts and misleading users’: CM Siddaramaiah slams Meta over faulty Kannada translations

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah raised serious concerns on Thursday over the inaccurate auto-translations of Kannada content on Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, warning that such errors are “distorting facts and misleading users.”

In a post on social media platform X, Siddaramaiah wrote, “Faulty auto-translation of Kannada content on @Meta platforms is distorting facts & misleading users. This is especially dangerous when it comes to official communications.

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.” (ANI)