An ongoing tussle between the Indian government and Twitter over digital content regulation has drawn global attention to the threats facing freedom of expression in India. India’s Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Parliament last week that social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn would have to follow the Indian Constitution. He warned the platforms of “strict action” if they were “misused to spread fake news and fuel violence.” “We respect social media a lot. It has empowered common people. Social media has a big role in the Digital India program. However, if social media is misused to spread fake news, violence, then action will be taken,” said Prasad. The statement comes against the backdrop of growing tension between the Indian government and Twitter over the company’s refusal to fully comply with orders to remove certain accounts that were critical of the government’s handling of ongoing farmer protests over controversial agriculture reforms. Twitter recently suspended hundreds of accounts in India at the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has been trying to contain protests by clamping down on demonstrators’ online activity. But the company stopped short of complying with demands to block accounts that belonged to…
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India Twitter standoff puts spotlight on free speech
