The government has written a roughly worded letter to Twitter’s chief executive Jack Dorsey about the social media site’s location settings showing Leh as part of China, saying it raises questions about its credibility and neutrality, conscientious officials said. of the matter on Thursday.
“The [Union electronics and information technology ministry] secretary [Ajay Sawhney] has conveyed the government’s disappointment to Dorsey [in the letter]”Said an official on condition of anonymity. “That [location settings] was called to our attention on October 18 when a senior journalist was doing a live Twitter from Leh … [he] noted that the location showed that [Leh] I was in China. “
Officials said that Twitter must respect the integrity and sovereignty of India. “This is unacceptable and Twitter must explain it. They must also ensure that it never happens again. India is one of the countries with the maximum number of Twitter users, ”said the official quoted above.
A second official said: “If you work in India, you must respect the sovereignty of the country.”
A Twitter spokesperson said the company remains committed to working with the government and respects the sensitivities involved. Twitter has acknowledged the letter, the spokesperson added.
Journalist Nitin Gokhale was doing a live Twitter from the Leh Hall of Fame, a memorial to fallen soldiers in Ladakh, when Twitter geotagging showed his location as part of China.
“Twitter friends, I just did a live from the Hall of Fame. Giving the Hall of Fame as the location and guess what it says Jammu & Kashmir, People’s Republic of China Are you crazy? ”Gokhale tweeted. Tweeple pl [please] Put Hall of Fame Leh as your location for the live broadcast and see what’s going on. It shows the location as Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Republic of China. I tried it again. Outrageous. Pl [please] flood Twitter with complaints. GoI [the government of India should take immediate action.”
The issue has come up amid months-long border tensions between India and China in Ladakh.
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