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– It should follow the constitution of India, said the IT minister of India. The message reached the American tech giants.
Indian farmers beat up a burning figure of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The peasant uprising has lasted half a year. Now the American internet giants are being dragged into the conflict. Photo: Altaf Qadri, NTB, AP
Indian farmers are furious. In the capital, New Delhi, tractors cut through clouds of tear gas. Protesters block roads and burn photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The authorities are trying to prevent criticism of the prime minister from spreading on the Internet. Therefore, they have ended up in a discussion with Twitter.
The dispute could have significant consequences for freedom of digital expression in the country. A clear message came from the government on Thursday. More services can end in suction.
On Thursday, Indian IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke in front of parliament. He said that both Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Whatsapp are welcome in India, but only if they follow Indian rules.
“It should follow the constitution of India,” Prasad said, quoted by Reuters.
Twitter has done some of what the Indian government demanded. On Wednesday, they shared a blog post. where they write that more than 500 accounts have been deleted. In addition, they have taken action against hundreds of accounts that encourage violence and threats. They have also slowed the spread of pins with harmful content.
But they refuse to remove the accounts of journalists, activists and others who the company believes use their right to criticize the government.
The Indian authorities are very disappointed, they write in a press release. The IT minister expresses “deep dissatisfaction” with the behavior of Twitter.
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Background: Indian farmers have turned the country upside down and sparked a celebrity war. After six months, the conflict still has no solution.
India’s IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday that both Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Whatsapp are welcome in India, but only if they follow Indian rules. Photo: Anindito Mukherjee / Reuters / NTB
The peasant uprising has lasted half a year
The background to the dispute is the current peasant uprising, which has lasted half a year.
Farmers are angry, among other things, because they earn very little from their work. More than half of the workforce in India is engaged in agriculture. But more than 20 percent of the country’s farmers live below the poverty line.
They are now demanding that the government withdraw the new farm laws that were passed in September. The new laws allow less state control. Many farmers believe that they will have no chance to meet with private actors who will drive down prices.
The Indian authorities responded to the demonstrations. Violence erupted when police and protesters gathered, although the demonstrations were peaceful.
Authorities are also trying to prevent stories of the protests from spreading. The internet was shut down in several areas around the capital and the Dehli region. Nine journalists have been charged after writing about the demonstrations. And the Indian government has demanded that more than 1,100 Twitter accounts be removed.
Relations between Narendra Modi (at the helm) and China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, have been strained. But they may have something in common. In China, neither Twitter nor Facebook are available. Now India can do the same. Photo: Manish Swarup / AP / NTB
What do the laws of India say?
Authorities believe that Twitter is helping to spread dangerous misinformation by allowing topics about genocide against farmers to spread.
The authorities believe that Twitter has violated the information technology law that came into force in 2000. It states, among other things, that the authorities can intervene in information that is shared digitally if necessary to preserve the security of the nation.
Twitter did not comment on the authorities’ statement Thursday. On Wednesday, the company wrote that they will continue the dialogue with the authorities. But they will also continue to fight for freedom of expression. The IT Ministry believes that what Twitter is doing has nothing to do with freedom of the press or freedom of expression.
Law professor David Kaye tells The New York Times that he believes Twitter is on the right side of the conflict with India. Photo: Carlos Jasso / Reuters / NTB
It can have consequences
The conflict is drawing attention.
For The New York Times, David Kaye, a law professor at the University of California, says he thinks Twitter is doing the right thing here. Kaye was previously the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression.
– Twitter says they will not follow orders that they believe do not follow Indian law and violate freedom of expression.
Kaye also notes that India has not behaved as democratically with Modi as prime minister. He mainly wonders why Twitter has not taken action before.
The law professor wonders what the dispute between Twitter and the Indian government will have to say for the future. Will Twitter End Up In Conflict With More Governments? Will they run the risk of being expelled from India, with almost 1.4 billion people?
More than Twitter can also be affected, writes technology journalist Casey Newton. Makes the Platformer newsletter. Facebook could end up in a similar conflict with Indian authorities, he believes.
The reason is the Facebook Oversight Board. It is an independent advice that should have the last word on questions about what is allowed to share.
The council will soon discuss whether it was correct to remove a post that criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If the council concludes that criticism should be allowed to stand, it may also affect the way Facebook moderates content in India. Facebook agrees to follow the council’s decision.
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