<story><title>Twitter is blocking tweets that criticize the Indian government</title><url>https://thewire.in/tech/as-covid-19-crisis-deepens-twitter-takes-down-tweets-criticising-modi-government</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>wtmt</author><text>Note that these tweets are only hidden for anyone in India (not removed from Twitter) since these do not violate Twitter’s terms but are being forced off the platform by a government order. I wish Twitter would put up a better fight on this, but Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook have been on the receiving end of criticism and threats by the central government, and it looks like Twitter chooses its battles to ensure its own survival first. What else can we expect from social networks anyway?</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>captn3m0</author><text>Twitter fought a court battle on this in India just a few months ago[a], [b]. The government even threatened Twitter Execs with jail time[0], [1].&lt;p&gt;Making this worse are the new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (the “Intermediary Rules”)[3]. Among the many issues, they increase obligations on large social media platforms (above 5e5 users), enforce government takedowns within 36 hours, enable mandatory social media verification, enforce algorithmic (AI-driven) censorship and change intermediary liability to criminal. IFF has gotten one victory against these in court[2], but there&amp;#x27;s a long way to go.&lt;p&gt;[0]: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.wsj.com&amp;#x2F;articles&amp;#x2F;india-threatens-twitter-with-penalties-if-it-doesnt-block-accounts-11612364787&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.wsj.com&amp;#x2F;articles&amp;#x2F;india-threatens-twitter-with-pe...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1]: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.buzzfeednews.com&amp;#x2F;article&amp;#x2F;pranavdixit&amp;#x2F;india-threatens-twitter-jail&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.buzzfeednews.com&amp;#x2F;article&amp;#x2F;pranavdixit&amp;#x2F;india-threa...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[a]: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;techcrunch.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;02&amp;#x2F;01&amp;#x2F;twitter-restricts-over-a-dozen-high-profile-accounts-in-india-following-legal-demand&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;techcrunch.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;02&amp;#x2F;01&amp;#x2F;twitter-restricts-over-a-d...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[b]: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;techcrunch.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;02&amp;#x2F;03&amp;#x2F;india-sends-warning-to-twitter-over-lifting-block-on-accounts-and-noncompliance-of-order&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;techcrunch.com&amp;#x2F;2021&amp;#x2F;02&amp;#x2F;03&amp;#x2F;india-sends-warning-to-twi...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[3]: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;internetfreedom.in&amp;#x2F;intermediaries-rules-2021&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;internetfreedom.in&amp;#x2F;intermediaries-rules-2021&amp;#x2F;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2]: &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;internetfreedom.in&amp;#x2F;kerala-hc-grants-a-stay-of-the-operation-of-part-iii-of-the-intermediaries-rules-2021-to-livelaw&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;internetfreedom.in&amp;#x2F;kerala-hc-grants-a-stay-of-the-op...&lt;/a&gt;</text></comment>
<story><title>Twitter is blocking tweets that criticize the Indian government</title><url>https://thewire.in/tech/as-covid-19-crisis-deepens-twitter-takes-down-tweets-criticising-modi-government</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>wtmt</author><text>Note that these tweets are only hidden for anyone in India (not removed from Twitter) since these do not violate Twitter’s terms but are being forced off the platform by a government order. I wish Twitter would put up a better fight on this, but Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook have been on the receiving end of criticism and threats by the central government, and it looks like Twitter chooses its battles to ensure its own survival first. What else can we expect from social networks anyway?</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>paxys</author><text>How is Twitter going to fight exactly? They can be banned nationwide (and local employees can face charges) with one order from the central government, and no court can help them. Same happened to TikTok last year.</text></comment>