The government asked Twitter to block 1,178 accounts.
New Delhi:
Twitter, which was asked by the government to block 1,178 accounts for allegedly spreading misinformation about farmers’ protests and provocative content, said today that the orders were inconsistent with Indian law and that, for some accounts, it would restrict access within of India instead of a total ban. In a blog listing the actions it has taken, also broadcast to the center today, Twitter noted that the values that underpin the open Internet and free expression “are increasingly under threat around the world.” In a growing showdown, the government responded in “Koo”, billed as Twitter’s Indian rival. Calling the blog “unusual” after Twitter sought a meeting, the government said it would share its response soon. Official sources say that Twitter has to comply with the law of the country.
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“We have held a portion of the accounts identified in the blocking orders under our policy of content held in the country only within India. These accounts remain available outside of India,” Twitter said in a blog post.
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“As we do not believe that the actions we have been ordered to take are consistent with Indian law and, in accordance with our principles of upholding freedom of expression and protected freedom of expression, we have not taken any action on accounts consisting of media entities, journalists, activists and politicians. Doing so, we believe, would violate their fundamental right to freedom of expression under Indian law, “he said.
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The government, in a post about “Koo” that is being promoted by union ministers, wrote: “At Twitter’s request to seek a meeting with the government, the IT secretary was to interact with Twitter’s top management. blog posted before this engagement is unusual. The government will share its response soon. “
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The government had asked Twitter to remove 1,178 listed identifiers it said belonged to Pakistani and Khalistani users and which were spreading misinformation about farmers’ protests outside Delhi since November.
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“According to the notifications sent, these Twitter identifiers are causing a threat to public order in the light of ongoing farmer protests in some parts of India. Many of these accounts were also automated bots used to share and amplify misinformation. and provocative content about farmer protests. But if Twitter still fails to comply with the notice under section 69A of the IT Act, legal action will be taken. Under the law, such section attracts seven years in jail, “sources said governmental.
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The government said it had been trying to convince the social media site that its concerns were genuine. “These accounts were shortlisted after they were flagged by security agencies. These accounts are either of Khalistan supporters or are backed by Pakistan and operate from foreign territories, which have been shared with them,” the sources said.
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On its blog, Twitter said it existed to allow voices to be heard and to continue to improve its service so that everyone, regardless of their points of view or perspective, felt safe participating in the public conversation. “We will continue to advocate for the right to free expression on behalf of the people we serve and are actively exploring options under Indian law, both for Twitter and for the accounts that have been affected. We remain committed to safeguarding the health of the community. conversation happening on Twitter, and I strongly believe Tweets should flow, “he said.
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Twitter said it received several separate blocking orders from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. “Two were emergency blocking orders that we temporarily complied with, but subsequently restored access to the content in a way that we believe was consistent with Indian law. After we communicated this to MeitY, we received a notification of non-compliance.”
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Defending its moves, Twitter said it took steps to reduce the visibility of hashtags containing harmful content, including banning them from trending on Twitter and appearing as recommended search terms. He also said that a series of measures, including permanent suspension, were taken against more than 500 escalated accounts on all government orders.
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In the dispute between the government and Twitter, several union ministers are setting up accounts on the rival made in India app “Koo” and asking people to follow them, ironically, with posts on Twitter.
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