Twitter vs. Government of India
Twitter is in hot soup with the government. Here’s why:
The faceoff with Twitter started on 1st Feb, when the IT ministry directed Twitter to block about 100 accounts and 150 tweets related to the farmer protests. In its notice to Twitter, the government stated that the accounts and tweets in question were instigating and encouraging people to engage in violent acts.
One such example given was that of the hashtag #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide. Certain accounts also promoted the idea that the police shot at one of the protestors who died during the Republic Day violence when video evidence showed that the man’s tractor had overturned while attempting to break barricades. Post-mortem reports later revealed that no bullet injuries were found on the body.
Twitter later unblocked the accounts in the evening, disobeying the government’s orders. However, 126 accounts were deactivated by Twitter after backlash from the government. Then, on Feb 4, the government shared a list of nearly 1,200 Twitter accounts with Twitter which were suspected to be linked to Khalistan sympathisers or backed by Pakistan.
The government also mentioned that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey ‘liking’ some tweets supportive of the protest raised questions over the platform’s neutrality.
Twitter responded that it views such requests with two lenses. The first is whether the tweets and accounts violate Twitter rules, in which case they would be completely removed. The second is whether the tweets only violate the law of the land, in which case the tweets are only suspended within a specific geographical location.
Based on Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000, the Government can block public access to any intermediary ‘in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with the foreign states, or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relative to the above’.
This Act has been upheld by the Apex court and legal action is likely.
In a statement, the government said:
“Twitter is an intermediary and they are obliged to obey the direction of the government. Refusal to do so will invite penal action.”
Twitter India’s public policy head Mahima Kaul has also since resigned (citing personal reasons). Twitter has also started suspending the accounts listed by the government, and on Tuesday, it said that “(t)he platform is guided by principles of transparency and empowering the public conversation.”
Bibliography
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/govt-asks-twitter-to-remove-1178-accounts/article33779065.ece
https://swarajyamag.com/politics/explained-twitter-versus-the-government-of-india