India Disputes 'Manipulated Media' Tag on Politicians' Tweets, Seeks COVID Variant Name Change

India Disputes Twitter’s “Manipulated Media” Labels and Requests Content Removal

The government of India has formally voiced its disapproval of Twitter’s decision to label tweets originating from Indian politicians as “manipulated media.” Simultaneously, a request has been issued to various social media platforms to remove any posts referencing an “Indian variant” of the coronavirus.

Dispute Over “Manipulated Media” Designations

This initial objection arose just two days after Twitter applied a “manipulated media” tag to a tweet published by Sambit Patra, a spokesperson for India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The tweet alleged that the Indian National Congress, the primary opposition party, was utilizing a purported “toolkit” to obstruct the government’s response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This claim was subsequently disproven by Alt News, a prominent Indian fact-checking organization.

Similar labels were also affixed to tweets from Priti Gandhi, who manages BJP’s social media activities, Sunil Deodhar, a National Secretary of the BJP, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, a Member of Parliament from Maharashtra representing the BJP, and Kuljeet Singh Chahal, the General Secretary of BJP in Delhi. The official notice from New Delhi refrained from naming specific politicians or identifying the tweets in question.

Government Concerns Regarding Fairness and Intermediary Status

The Indian government’s notice asserted that Twitter’s designation of tweets as “manipulated” was made “prejudicially,” prior to the completion of any formal investigation. A request was made for Twitter to remove these tags to ensure “fairness and equity.”

Officials contend that Twitter’s actions undermine its standing as a “neutral and unbiased” platform. Furthermore, the government has raised concerns about the implications for Twitter’s classification as an “Intermediary” within India’s legal framework.

Regulations for Social Media Intermediaries

Under recently enacted legislation, social media companies exceeding a certain user base – typically over a few million – are designated as “intermediaries” in India. This law introduces some of the most stringent regulations globally for internet-based businesses. This legislation impacts platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

A Twitter spokesperson declined to provide a comment when contacted by TechCrunch regarding the matter.

Request to Remove References to “Indian Variant”

In a separate communication, India’s IT ministry directed social media firms to remove posts that mention an “Indian variant” of the coronavirus.

The ministry stated, “This is completely FALSE. No variant of Covid-19 has been scientifically designated as such by the World Health Organisation (WHO). WHO has not linked the term ‘Indian Variant’ to the B.1.617 variant in any of its reports.” This information was initially reported by Reuters.

Challenges for Social Media in the Indian Market

These recent notices highlight the complex position Twitter occupies in India, the world’s second-largest internet market, with over 100 million users. The company has also invested in local startups. Facebook, with its largest user base globally located in India, has made substantial investments in Indian companies as well.

The company, led by Jack Dorsey, has encountered several difficult situations in India this year. Initial compliance with a New Delhi order was followed by criticism from the government after the restoration of accounts posting content critical of government policies or Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Further disagreements arose last month when New Delhi demanded the removal of posts criticizing the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic from both Twitter and Facebook.

Global Trend of Content Regulation

Singapore also recently mandated that Twitter and Facebook issue corrections regarding what it described as “online falsehoods” suggesting a new coronavirus variant originated within the country.

This article has been updated to include details regarding the second letter issued by the Indian government.