Tweet for tat: Action against 500 accounts in India, says Twitter

Twitter said it has taken action against some 500 accounts highlighted by the Indian government for blocking “within India only” but has not blocked handles of civil society activists, politicians and media as “it would violate their fundamental right to free expression” guaranteed under country’s law.

Twitter highlighted that it will continue to advocate for the right of free expression of its handlers and that it is “actively exploring options under Indian law — both for Twitter and for the accounts that have been impacted”.

Twitter had been asked by the Centre to take down multiple accounts that were sharing misrepresentation and provoking content around the ongoing farmers’ protest.

Also read: Farmers’ protest: Now YouTube cracks down on music videos related to protest

Beginning on January 26, Twitter’s global team “provided 24/7 coverage and took enforcement action judiciously and impartially on content, trends, tweets and accounts…,” Twitter said.

“We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve. We are exploring options under Indian law — both for Twitter and for the accounts that have been impacted. We remain committed to safeguarding the health of the conversation occurring on Twitter, and strongly believe that the Tweets should flow,” it added.

The statement released amid reports of increasing hostility between the central government and Twitter after the micro-blogging site has been accused of sitting on the government’s order for a day when the central government ordered it to block over 250 handles. It was reported that a day after government’s order, the site blocked those handles only for a few hours. The government later also warned the platform of penal actions.

Check out the detailed statement by Twitter

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