Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has raised concerns about problems with how Kannada content is automatically translated on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram. He believes that the incorrect translations are distorting facts and confusing users. To address this issue, he has informed that his media advisor has contacted the company, asking them to fix these problems as soon as possible. Siddaramaiah emphasised the need for social media platforms to act responsibly, particularly in regards to official communication. He has also cautioned citizens about the inaccuracies often present in the translations displayed on these platforms. He conveyed his worries on 'X', highlighting that the faulty auto-translation could pose a danger, especially when it comes to official communications.
Email to Meta
In an email to Meta sent on July 16, his media advisor, K V Prabhakar, expressed significant worries about how well Facebook and Instagram translate content in Kannada. He noted that the translations from Kannada to English often contain errors and can sometimes be seriously misleading.
He pointed out that the situation posed a serious problem, especially when it came to public messages or official announcements from the chief minister and the government. Prabhakar noted that if there were mistakes in these translations, people might misunderstand the information. Many readers might not know that they were looking at a poorly translated version instead of the original message.
Pause automatic translation
Given the sensitivity of public communication from a constitutional authority, he stated that these misrepresentations resulting from flawed translation tools were unacceptable. On behalf of the chief minister, he asked Meta to pause its automatic translation feature for Kannada content until the translations can be made more accurate. They also suggested that Meta work with skilled Kannada language experts to improve the quality and context of translations between Kannada and English.
