Posted on 02/07/2021 7:39:35 AM PST by DoodleBob
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Twitter Inc’s refusal to comply with an Indian government directive to block more than 250 accounts and posts has put the social media giant at the centre of a political firestorm in one of its key markets.
Government officials, business people and ordinary netizens are split over free speech and the U.S. company’s compliance practices, in a controversy that comes soon after Twitter’s top lobbyist in India resigned.
The showdown, after the firm this week “declined to abide (by) and obey” the order to remove posts and accounts that the government said risked inciting violence, is the latest instance of worsening relationships between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration and U.S. social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
For Twitter, the stakes are high in a country of 1.3 billion where it has millions of users and is ardently used by Modi, his cabinet ministers and other leaders to communicate with the public.
Farmers are conducting a growing protest against new agriculture laws, with tens of thousands camping out on the outskirts of New Delhi and launching a nationwide road blockade on Saturday.
As the prolonged crisis escalated, the government this week sought an “emergency blocking” of the “provocative” Twitter hashtag “#ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide” and dozens of accounts.
Twitter initially complied but later restored most of the accounts, citing “insufficient justification” to continue the suspensions. The technology ministry warned the company, in a letter seen by Reuters, of legal “consequences” that could include fines or jail, saying the government was not required to justify its demand to ban accounts.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I dunno whose side to support here. I think I’ll have some popcorn, too.
#Tw*tter isn’t claiming this is unproven conspiracy talk that could stoke insurgency violence?
““#ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide””
I agree... if only Twitter had an actual cogent policy it followed uniformly, instead of “what’s expedient for us today?”
MIGA
“Insufficient Justification”?
Since when does twatter need justification?
DJT should have did this.
Now he risks losing a 1.3bn person marketplace.
My bet is Twitter will dutifully do what the Indian govt tells him to do, the good little beyoch that he is.
First question for TwitCensors: Whose ox is being gored?
Second question: Whose ox do we want gored?
Third question: How can we help gore the ox we want gored?
There are no principles involved but the acquisition and wielding of power. That is why their hypocrisy is so prevalent.
Twatter doesn’t want to censor there because they agree with the position of the posters. It’s that simple.
The only reason I ever went to Twatter was LS.
Now he’s banned too, so I have zero reason to navigate to that website.
LOL popcorn pic. Popcorn was a baaaad dude.
So, it’s ok to “incite violence” on Twit in India, but not in America.
Got it.
One time i used twitter when someone had seized a hotel/complex in India.
It was good...real-time on the ground info as events were unfolding. I told the fam about it. They said “twitter...what’s that?”
I never saw any use for twitter since that day years ago. So long ago the events are murky in my mind now.
I use twitter to get info and video
Independent journalist Andy Ngo posts a lot of good stuff about BLM and ANtifa
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo
Jack Posobiec of One America News posts good stuff
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec
Michelle Malkin used to post good stuff, but her account was stopped from posting
https://twitter.com/michellemalkin?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Yep, I hear ya PB3625
First world countries like Uganda and Myanmar just banned Twatter for tampering in their politics.
Is India a first world country - or a third world Mitthole like the United States, which allows a bearded homeless guy to run the country?
Noticed that, did ya? 
The homeless bearded dude @jerkoff and his minions are quite the hypocrites.
My bet is Twitter will dutifully do what the Indian govt tells him to do, the good little beyoch that he is.
I agree. So long as a company is able to ban speech, they will be forced by governments to ban speech these governments want suppressed.
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