New Delhi: The government on Wednesday expressed “strong displeasure” over Twitter’s delay in taking prompt action against accounts and hashtags spreading misinformation and provocative content around the farmers’ stir, as the IT Ministry made it clear that the company must comply with the country’s laws irrespective of the platform’s own rules. Twitter has suspended over 500 accounts, and blocked access to several others within India while refusing to block accounts of “news media entities, journalists, activists and politicians” citing the need to uphold freedom of expression. During a virtual interaction between IT Secretary and senior officials of Twitter, the government told the microblogging platform that as a business entity operating in India, it must respect the laws and democratic institutions and take strong action against “well-coordinated” campaigns “designed to create disharmony and unrest” in the country. Slamming the delay by the platform in complying with government orders on taking down provocative content around farmers’ stir, the IT Secretary also expressed dissatisfaction over Twitter’s “differential treatment” in case of the US Capitol Hill siege, where it had taken prompt action. “Secretary reminded Twitter about the action taken by Twitter during the Capitol Hill episode in the USA and compared that with the disturbance in Red Fort in India and its aftermath. He expressed dissatisfaction over Twitter’s differential treatment in the two incidents,” the IT Ministry said in a statement. The government questioned the manner in which Twitter “officially allows fake, unverified, anonymous and automated bot accounts to be operated on its platform” and said it raises doubts about its commitment to transparency and healthy conversation on the platform.
Comply with laws in India, take strong action against campaigns aimed at creating unrest: Govt to Twitter
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