Twitter Restricts Accounts in India - Government Request

Twitter Blocks Accounts in India Following Government Request

On Monday, Twitter revealed it had blocked access to four accounts within India in response to a recent legal demand originating from the Indian government.

This action was disclosed on the Lumen Database, a project affiliated with Harvard University. The social media platform confirmed it acted upon a legal request received over the weekend, impacting accounts belonging to individuals such as hip-hop artist L-Fresh the Lion and singer-songwriter Jazzy B.

Account Restrictions and Transparency

Currently, these accounts remain accessible outside of India, but are geo-restricted for users within the country. Twitter, alongside companies like Google, utilizes the Lumen Database to publicly document government requests and orders as part of its transparency initiatives.

An analysis conducted by TechCrunch indicated that the blocked accounts, similar to others targeted earlier this year, had voiced opposition to New Delhi’s agricultural reforms.

Twitter’s Compliance Process

A Twitter spokesperson explained that all legal requests undergo a thorough review, assessed against both the platform’s internal policies and applicable local laws.

“If content is found to breach Twitter’s guidelines, it will be removed. However, if the content is deemed unlawful within a specific jurisdiction but doesn’t violate Twitter’s rules, access may be restricted solely within that region, in this case, India.”

The spokesperson further stated that account holders are directly notified when a legal order pertaining to their account is received.

New IT Rules and Government Pressure

This recent request is occurring as Twitter works to align with India’s updated IT regulations. Several other major tech companies, including Facebook and Google, have already implemented these new guidelines.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a “final notice” to Twitter on Saturday, urging full compliance with the rules introduced in February. These rules mandate that large social media platforms designate and provide contact information for compliance officers.

Escalating Tensions

Relations between Twitter and the Indian government have become increasingly strained. Last month, Delhi police visited Twitter’s offices to deliver a notice regarding an investigation into how the platform labeled tweets from Indian politicians as potentially misleading.

Twitter characterized this visit as an attempt at intimidation and voiced concerns for the safety of its employees, while also advocating for the protection of free speech rights.

Late last month, Twitter formally requested New Delhi to grant an extension of at least three months to fully comply with the new regulations.

Throughout this year, Twitter has faced numerous challenges in the Indian market, one of its largest user bases. The company briefly complied with an earlier order from New Delhi, but later faced criticism for reinstating accounts that had previously posted content critical of the Indian government or Prime Minister Modi.

Further disagreements arose in April when the Indian government directed Twitter and Facebook to remove posts that criticized the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.