Indian Government Ordered Takedown Of Tweets Criticising Internet Censorship: Report

The Union government reportedly ordered microblogging platform Twitter to take down a slew of tweets last year that purportedly criticised internet censorship in the country. 

The requests pertained to tweets promoting a Freedom House report titled ‘Freedom in the World 2021’. According to Entrackr, the tweets were ‘possibly’ also singled out for using a version of world map that featured borders disputed by India.

The report which was released last year had panned the Indian government, accusing it of cracking down on critics, further adding that the ruling BJP was driving the country toward authoritarianism.

Other tweets that were screened out belonged to an April 2021 tweet by journalist Rana Ayyub. Twitter also received multiple takedown requests for a series of accounts that claimed to represent the Congress party as well as other tweets from AAP members. A host of other handles that purportedly tweeted in favour of farmers protests, including Kisan Ekta Morcha, were also part of the take down requests.

In addition, official and diplomatic handles belonging to Pakistan were also reportedly banned during the exercise.

The report, citing disclosures accessed by the news portal, also noted that Twitter did not comply with some requests. There is no clarity yet as to under which rules were the orders issued.

This comes at a time when the Indian government has been under fire for such takedown requests. Earlier on Sunday, Ayyub took to Twitter to claim that a tweet by her was withheld in the country over the controversy surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque issue. Sharing a screenshot of the mail received from Twitter, Ayyub complained that her tweet was withheld in the country under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Similar orders were also issued for author Pieter Friedrich, and his account was withheld in the country. 

The new as well as the old IT Rules have been criticised by civil society organisations for muzzling free speech and dissent. On the other hand, the government has continued to stick to its stance that the new IT rules were brought in to ensure that the internet in India remains open, safe and accountable for all users.

In April this year, the government banned as many as 38 YouTube channels for spreading ‘disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations and public order’.