In India, a government-friendly social media network challenges Twitter – The Washington Post

BANGALORE, India — Earlier this year, Twitter and the Indian government were locked in a bitter showdown.The government, incensed by Twitter’s refusal to take down posts by farmers agitating against agricultural reforms, accused the company of supporting violent protesters — and threatened to jail Twitter employees. The company’s executives hit back, arguing they were defending the right to free speech, a stance they have largely adhered to for a decade.The winner of the dispute? A little-known Indian social media app called Koo.In the months since Twitter’s feud with the government, a parade of Indian cabinet ministers, government agencies and right-wing celebrities have opened accounts on Koo to support a homegrown competitor, bringing millions of Indian followers with them. The sudden spike in visibility has brought Koo a $30 million investment round from Tiger Global and Accel, two U.S. venture capital funds that once bet on another young social media start-up: Facebook. Koo grew from 40 employees at the beginning of the year to more than 200; its app has been downloaded 9 million times, mostly in India but increasingly in Nigeria too.Story continues below advertisementWith its bird logo and scrolling feeds of 400-character posts, called “Koos,” the social network takes…
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