Twitter Blocks Accounts in India as Modi Pressures Social Media (nytimes.com) 36
Twitter held firm when the Indian government demanded last week that the social media platform take down hundreds of accounts that criticized the government for its conduct during protests by angry farmers. On Wednesday, under threat of prison for its local employees, Twitter relented. From a report: The company, based in San Francisco, said it had permanently blocked over 500 accounts and moved an unspecified number of others from view within India after the government accused them of making inflammatory remarks about Narendra Modi, the country's prime minister. Twitter said it acted after the government issued a notice of noncompliance, a move that experts said could put the company's local employees in danger of spending up to seven years in custody. In a blog post published on Wednesday, Twitter said it was not taking any action on the accounts that belonged to media organizations, journalists, activists or politicians, saying it did not believe the orders to block them "are consistent with Indian law." It also said it was exploring its options under local laws and had requested a meeting with a senior government official. "We remain committed to safeguarding the health of the conversation occurring on Twitter," it said, "and strongly believe that the tweets should flow."
The brewing conflict in India offers a particularly stark example of Twitter's challenge in hewing to its self-proclaimed principles supporting free speech. The platform has been caught in an intensifying debate over the outsize role of social media in politics, and growing demand in many countries to tame that influence. In the United States, Twitter was thrust into the center of the clash last month after it permanently suspended the account of Donald J. Trump, the former president, for encouraging protests in Washington, D.C., that turned violent. In that case, it exercised its right under U.S. laws that give social platforms the ability to police speech on their services. But in India, Twitter is blocking accounts at the government's demand. Controlled by Mr. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, the Indian government has become increasingly aggressive at stifling dissent. It has arrested activists and journalists, and pressured media organizations to hew to its line. It has also cut off mobile internet access in troubled areas.
The brewing conflict in India offers a particularly stark example of Twitter's challenge in hewing to its self-proclaimed principles supporting free speech. The platform has been caught in an intensifying debate over the outsize role of social media in politics, and growing demand in many countries to tame that influence. In the United States, Twitter was thrust into the center of the clash last month after it permanently suspended the account of Donald J. Trump, the former president, for encouraging protests in Washington, D.C., that turned violent. In that case, it exercised its right under U.S. laws that give social platforms the ability to police speech on their services. But in India, Twitter is blocking accounts at the government's demand. Controlled by Mr. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, the Indian government has become increasingly aggressive at stifling dissent. It has arrested activists and journalists, and pressured media organizations to hew to its line. It has also cut off mobile internet access in troubled areas.
Say what?! (Score:3)
The brewing conflict in India offers a particularly stark example of Twitter's challenge in hewing to its self-proclaimed principles supporting free speech.
Right there, something is wrong with this picture.
Re: (Score:2)
Also, 'merkin principles are irrelevant outside 'merka.
Unfortunately not. At least some of the bad ones tend to smear off onto the outside.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
It's not about free speech, it's about keeping people on their platform. The only deviate from that in extreme circumstances like "we're going to jail your employees". By and large they don't care what people say as long as they're saying it on Twitter.
Monitization and keeping business doors open (Score:1)
Banning Political Speech.. (Score:4, Funny)
huh... that could never happen in the US.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Banning Political Speech.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Distinguishing truth from falsehood is the business of the reader.
I was struck by "an intensifying debate over the outsize role of social media in politics, and growing demand in many countries to tame that influence."
People in power really do fear the ability of the people to say and write whatever they want.
Re:Banning Political Speech.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Distinguishing truth from falsehood is the business of the reader.
Considering almost half the US has a real problem doing so, someone needs to step-up and be an adult in the situation.
That's what Mao said.
Re:Banning Political Speech.. (Score:5, Insightful)
You know, to be fair... this is an issue.. but we have this weird dynamic now... foreign Bots and actors can produce millions of posts... and we can be angered and manipulated.
There has to be a way to moderate and allow free political speech... not just the words the Social Media "jury" allows to be heard...
Otherwise we are trapped in some sort of cross between 1984 and Fahrenheit 451
Re: (Score:2)
Distinguishing truth from falsehood is the business of the reader.
Considering almost half the US has a real problem doing so ...
Everyone agrees with that. What we disagree on is which half.
Re: (Score:2)
You're completely wrong. Your ideas are dangerous. And they must by no means be silenced.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
In the US it's the opposite. It's the (until-last-month) head of the government who argues that private parties should be forced to provide him a platform.
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
Re: (Score:3)
I don't think so. He's not the first person ever to be banned you know.
Trump wasn't banned until months of his bald-faced lying culminated in violence including deaths, and he was lying in an effort to overturn an election. The issue simply can't be discussed meaningfully while disregarding these central facts. If you want to draw an analogy with "liberals" you need to identify a valid a
Re: (Score:2)
That's a lie. But the bigger point is that the whole cause - Stop the Steal - is itself a made-up lie. Your analogy between these two would only hold water if some particular Democrat politician had faked some racially-sensitive killings and then persisted using them to roil crowds long after they were disproven frauds. Whereas in fact, BLM protests are in response to events that did happen, and you cannot point to any pol
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
It was social media that amplified and transmitted Trump's lies. And lies of many politicians, not just Trump even though he's clearly the most egregious example of a pathological liar.
Re: (Score:2)
Banning falsehoods does not eliminate new falsehoods nor does it foster an individual to develop better critical thinking skills. If you provide all the information available you can then let the person make the judgement for themselves.
Learn from history, prohibition does not work (whether its banning books, drugs, ideas, religions, philosophies, fast foot...you name it)...in fact it often causes the exact opposite, effect or causes resentment and unrest taken to its most extreme.
You want people to decide
Re: (Score:3)
I've said it before and I will say it again...the radical right of the 80's have now become the radical left of today...you all are just like your parents and grandparents...you just have different personal leanings.
Actually, I think it is the radical left of the 60's and 70's who used to protest the government and advocate for personal freedom and freedom of expression that have become a government worse than the one they used to protest.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh them too, it doesn't matter what their leanings are, they are still the same type of people.
They mob, they point fingers, they silence, they bully, they use unethical ways to accomplish their means and justify it as necessary, they are the exact same personality type pretty much. I know their are counter examples when some of these things are necessary, so maybe I fail to see their need as needed personality traits in society...but damn they seem to reach peek zenith every 20 years.
Re: (Score:2)
Twitter ought to block govt accounts too (Score:1)
Every official Indian government office and employee.
Why does Twitter need "local" employees? (Score:2)
Seriously, why does Twitter put themselves in situation where they can be held hostage to a local government? Why have local employees?
Re: (Score:2)
- Undeerstand, interprete and follow local laws
- Deal with local users
- CDN for a large audience such as India requires local infrastructure to cache data for local/fast delivery
Re: (Score:1)
Simplification and Symmetry via MAD? (Score:2)
There may be a way to balance such requests, to place a real cost on them that encourages the requester to limit their use:
For each account you request be banned, we will let those same account holders pick one of your accounts to be banned.
Mutually Assured Destruction for the Digital Age? Is détente possible in this context?
Towards a Twitterless World (Score:1)
Khalistani seperatist movement (Score:1)
The real reason for such a drastic measure is because most of the protest is actually only a front for the seperatist movement called Khalistani movement ( to complicate it further there is a lot of speculation that those seperatists are really Pakistanis). Most protestors wonat have any real concern for farmers. They just want to break down India to pieces. This is a highly co-ordinated attack on the moral and cultural strengths and integrity of India.
Henve the drastic measures.
Re: Khalistani seperatist movement (Score:1)
I am myself weary of yhe Pakistani connection though.