Fb, Twitter: A lifeline for Indians within the Covid disaster and a menace for Narendra Modi

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He isn’t the only one organizing relief efforts on social media.

Over the last couple of weeks, as India’s Covid-19 crisis has deepened, American social media giants have become platforms of hope for millions of people. The world’s second most populous country has recorded over 18 million cases since the pandemic began — and its health care infrastructure has crumbled under pressure, with hospitals running out of oxygen and medicines.
Family members of Covid-19 patients waiting to refill empty oxygen cylinders in Manesar, India.
With authorities struggling to provide adequate information, distressed patients and their families have turned to Twitter (TWTR), Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or LinkedIn, begging for help.
Social media influencers, from Bollywood actors and cricketers to comic artists and entrepreneurs, have been amplifying SOS calls on their accounts. Others have offered to cook meals, clean homes and walk pets for Covid-19 patients. Some have even managed to find help for friends using dating app Tinder.

On LinkedIn, companies and nonprofit organizations have…

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