India warns Twitter to block accounts posting about Farmers’ Protests
New Delhi, 3rd February: India warns the micro-blogging website Twitter to block accounts posting about the ongoing farmers’ protests.
Baaghi TV: India has issued a warning to the Twitter platform to comply with orders to block accounts and content related to farmers’ protest, a technology ministry source said on Wednesday.
According to reports, after the Indian government on Monday said that users were posting content aimed at inciting violence, Twitter blocked dozens of accounts in India, including that of a leading news magazine.
However, as per reports, later it unblocked some of those accounts.
A source, who declined to be named told Reuters, “Twitter unilaterally unblocked accounts, tweets despite the government’s order. Twitter is an intermediary and they are obliged to obey the direction of the government.”
A government official told Reuters that India’s Home Affairs Ministry had demanded the suspension of ‘close to 250 Twitter accounts’ that were allegedly posting content that are meant to incite violence.
The technology ministry source said, “Content with #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide was posted on Twitter, which was designed to inflame passions, hatred and was factually incorrect.”
However, Twitter declined to comment on the notice.
It is to be noted that tens of thousands of farmers have camped on the outskirts of New Delhi for months demanding the withdrawal of new laws that they say benefit private buyers at the expense of growers.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government says that the reforms will open up new opportunities for farmers.
The farmers’ protests in India garnered international attention after the US singer Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg and US lawyer and activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, shared posts on their Twitter handles and drew attention to the condition of the protesting farmers.
Following this, India slammed international celebrities for making comments in support of protesting farmers as inappropriate and irresponsible.
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