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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> purchased <keyword id="19959118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Twitter" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> with a pledge to make it a bastion for <keyword id="20481495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="free-speech" source="keywords">free speech</keyword>.</li><li>Musk quickly reinstated some previously suspended accounts, like for Alex Jones and Donald Trump.</li></ul>A new "transparency report" from <keyword id="19959117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="X" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="X" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="X">X</keyword> might surprise anyone who has heard its owner, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>, talk about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/free-speech-elon-musk-wants-would-be-terrible-2023-12">the importance of free speech</a>. Before Musk bought Twitter in 2022, the social media site would release a report twice a year detailing statistics on data requests, copyright notices, user reports of violations, and suspensions. The "transparency reports" were typically 50 pages long or more. Three years after Musk took control of the company and rebranded it X, it has finally released a new transparency report. And the results are surprising. Under Musk's leadership, X has suspended over four times as many accounts in the first half of 2024 — 5.3 million — as Twitter ever did during similar periods. According to its transparency reports at the time, Twitter suspended almost 873,000 accounts in the last half of 2019. That number grew to about 1.3 million <keyword id="23342823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="account-suspensions" source="keywords">account suspensions</keyword> in the latter half of 2021. The recent suspensions were related to child safety, abuse or harassment, and misleading identities, according to X. A spokesperson for X did not immediately respond to questions regarding the surge in suspended accounts. While he has reinstated some prominent accounts previously suspended by Twitter, like former President Donald Trump's and Infowars' <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-infowars-free-speech-systems-auction-sandy-hook-bankruptcy-2024-9">Alex Jones</a>, Musk has newly suspended others, like the account of a student who <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-who-tracks-elon-musk-private-jet-permanently-banned-twitter-2022-12">tracked his private jet flights</a>. On Thursday, X also suspended journalist Ken Klippenstein's account after he published a 271-page dossier on JD Vance, Trump's running mate in the 2024 election. An X spokesperson told CNN that Klippenstein's suspension was triggered because it included the candidate's home address and part of his Social Security number. Musk <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-donald-trump-feud-relationship-timeline-2022-7">endorsed Trump</a> and has been rumored to be in the running for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-cabinet-election-x-2024-9">cabinet position</a> should Trump ultimately win. Though he has branded himself a free-speech absolutist, Musk has repeatedly capitulated to government demands to moderate the platform more heavily. After months of refusing to comply with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-brazil-free-speech-battle-over-2024-9">a Supreme Court order in Brazil</a> to remove accounts it deemed dangerous to its democracy, for instance, X finally acquiesced last week after hefty fines and a nationwide ban. Musk has also agreed to government requests for account takedowns in Turkey and India. Musk axed much of Twitter's staff after his purchase, including the trust and safety employees who <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/x-social-media-misinformation-swamping-fake-news-trust-safety-2023-10">dealt with misinformation</a> and other content moderation issues on the platform. A recent survey found <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-sentiment-trust-big-tech-2024-9">X to be the least trustworthy</a> tech company.

Elon Musk talks a lot about free speech. But account suspensions on X have skyrocketed.

<ul><li><keyword id="749437" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="twitter-india" source="Orion">Twitter India</keyword> bans multiple accounts of Pakistan embassies under the IT act.</li><li>Reportedly, the Pakistan government is urging Twitter to restore access to restricted accounts.</li><li>Twitter handles of journalists from The News and <keyword id="330847" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="geo-news" source="Orion">Geo News</keyword> are banned under the IT act.</li></ul>India has banned the official Twitter accounts of several Pakistani diplomatic missions, journalists and some prominent personalities under the's Information Technology Act, 2000, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad has claimed. "Deeply concerning that #India has blocked the flow of information to Indian Twitter by withholding access to the following official accounts," Geo News quoted the Ministry as saying in a tweet on Monday night, while listing down the banned accounts. The banned accounts include accounts of the Pakistani Embassy in UN, Turkey, Iran and Egypt. "Diminishing space for plurality of voices &amp; access to info in India is extremely alarming," the tweet added. The Ministry called out Twitter, saying that social media platforms should abide by the applicable international norms. It said that the government of Pakistan is urging the tech company to restore access to the restricted accounts immediately and ensure adherence to democratic freedoms of speech and expression. Meanwhile, the Twitter handles of journalists, including The News and Geo News reporter in London, <keyword id="14309060" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="murtaza-ali-shah" source="Orion">Murtaza Ali Shah</keyword> and CJ Werleman have also been withheld by the company under India's Information Technology Act, 2000, Geo News reported. Murtaza Ali Shah has around 550,000 followers on his verified Twitter @MurtazaViews account. He has been associated with The News and Geo for more than 17 years. Shah confirmed he received an email notice from Twitter about India's legal action against his account. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/making-sense-of-metaverse-a-primer/articleshow/92509388.cms">Making sense of metaverse – a primer</a> <a href="http://businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/ola-electrics-hr-director-ranjit-kondeshan-quits-after-fourteen-months/articleshow/92510756.cms">Ola Electric’s HR Director quits after fourteen months as top executives depart</a>

Twitter India bans accounts of Pakistan embassies in UN, Iran, Egypt and Turkey

<ul><li>Yesterday, Twitter lost its legal indemnity in India for failing to fully comply with new IT rules that came into force on May 25.</li><li>We speak to digital experts to understand how this decision could impact the platform and brands in India.</li></ul>The global microblogging platform Twitter lost its legal protection in India on June 16 over its failure to comply with the government’s new IT rules. Twitter has now lost its ‘intermediary’ status in India, which gave it immunity from liabilities over any third-party data hosted by the platform. The Jack Dorsey-owned platform will be held accountable for every single ‘objectionable’ tweet under the <keyword id="6433641" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="information-technology-act">Information Technology Act</keyword>, 2000 and the country’s penal laws. With this, Twitter has become the first US-based social media platform to lose legal protection in India. According to India’s Electronics and Information Technology Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad’s statement on Twitter, the platform ‘chose the path of deliberate defiance when it comes to the Intermediary Guidelines.’ <div type="twitter" handle="rsprasad" handlename="Ravi Shankar Prasad" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/727848709518675968/xebahww0_normal.jpg" favoritecount="7770" retweetcount="1702" status="Further, Twitter was given multiple opportunities to comply with the same, however it has deliberately chosen the path of non compliance." createdat="1623823338000" id="1405043034660560899"></div> Prasad also blamed Twitter for being biased and selectively labelling some content as manipulated media and ignoring others. “Further, what is perplexing is that Twitter fails to address the grievances of users by refusing to set up process as mandated by the law of the land. Additionally, it chooses a policy of flagging manipulates media, only when it suits, its likes and dislikes,” he wrote in a Twitter thread. We reached out to digital experts from the advertising industry to understand the implications of this development, to understand what it means for Twitter and brands in India. Here’s what they had to say: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Akshay Gurnani, Co-founder &amp; CEO, Schbang:" text="Akshay Gurnani, Co-founder &amp; CEO, Schbang:">Akshay Gurnani, Co-founder &amp; CEO, Schbang:</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="Akshay gurnani" msid="83575957" hostid="261"></div> With Twitter losing its intermediary status and hence its legal immunity, they will be made liable for all the content published on the platform. This will put quite a lot of pressure on the entity considering that Twitter has always been a place for unfiltered and sometimes controversial content. This will also put the ball back in the court of brands to think about whether they want to continue maintaining their presence on the platform or not. I'm certain Twitter will comply with the outlined regulations since India is one of their biggest markets, but until then, brands and advertisers will need to be a bit cautious. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Manesh Swamy, Vice President - Creative &amp; Social, Logicserve Digital:" text="Manesh Swamy, Vice President - Creative &amp; Social, Logicserve Digital:">Manesh Swamy, Vice President - Creative &amp; Social, Logicserve Digital:</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="Manesh swami." msid="83575967" hostid="261"></div> Twitter has been active in the social space for a very long time. It has been a primary way for people around the globe to put across views, opinions, thoughts, broadcasts, and more. Now, with Twitter losing its safe harbour protection, this will eliminate the platform’s legal immunity. In my opinion, popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn have their specific personality and target audience. In the case of Twitter, it’s known for its authenticity, niche audience, and wide reach. After the microblogging platform losing its indemnity, brands on the platform might find it hard to comply and will have to bring it certain guidelines when putting out content. But ultimately the decision has been made by the Indian government therefore, brands should bring in alternatives to stay on top of the game. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Sahil Chopra, Founder &amp; CEO- iCubesWire:" text="Sahil Chopra, Founder &amp; CEO- iCubesWire:">Sahil Chopra, Founder &amp; CEO- iCubesWire:</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="Sahil chopra icubes" msid="83576006" hostid="261"></div> “Twitter, including other social media giants, were extremely helpful in helping and connecting people during the second wave of Covid-19, which was appreciated globally. However, following India’s laws and regulations are paramount for any company. With so much fake news being spread through social media platforms, it is important to keep a tab on offensive content specially where religious sentiments can be hurt or fake news is spread on COVID vaccination. We are hopeful the Indian govt. and Twitter can work things out soon to ensure Indian laws and rules are followed.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Ambika Sharma, Founder and MD, Pulp Strategy:" text="Ambika Sharma, Founder and MD, Pulp Strategy:">Ambika Sharma, Founder and MD, Pulp Strategy:</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="ambika sharma pulp" msid="83576032" hostid="261"></div> Twitter losing its intermediary status will impact their business, it means that they can now be least responsible for anything posted on the platform not following the law of the land. If this loss of status stands Twitter is up for difficult times. The loss of safe harbor will create unrest, it will be harder to appoint senior positions especially as the responsibility comes on the senior India execs, brands will be more cautious to start with. On the other hand Twitter being a preferred medium for political commentary the escalation may just be around the corner. however until this escalates into an incident current advertising plans may not be impacted much, if the loss of safety continues brands will take a conservative approach and shy away from engagement of twitter, the spillover from heightened sentiments due to any incident may not be worth it. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Siddharth Devnani, Co-Founder &amp; Director, SoCheers:" text="Siddharth Devnani, Co-Founder &amp; Director, SoCheers:">Siddharth Devnani, Co-Founder &amp; Director, SoCheers:</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="Siddharth devnani socheers" msid="83576070" hostid="261"></div> For brands, businesses, agencies and advertisers, this will not change anything for now. Amongst other legal challenges, Twitter will also need to think of its own brand perception. Brands will continue to leverage the platform as long as its user base continues to be highly engaged as it is today. The change which has happened has to do with responsibility of Twitter for any problematic content posted on the platform. Hence it's not likely that it will directly impact brands or their campaign spends. The deals will remain intact as long as there is no backlash or additional rulings coming their way.

Twitter loses its legal protection in India: What it could mean for the platform and brands

<ul><li>The stand off between the Indian government and Twitter is escalating with the country bringing in new laws to oversee online speech.</li><li>The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked the social media platform to ‘stop beating around the bush’ and comply with the law of the land.</li><li>While the government claims that its only asking Twitter the adhere with the law of the land, Twitter maintains that the new IT rules are a threat to freedom of speech.</li></ul>India caught many off guard when it introduced its new information technology (IT) rules back in February, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And Twitter isn’t quite on board, yet. The two have been locked in a battle of national interest versus freedom of speech, both with an intent to protect users. Today, on May 28, a plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court against Twitter and its non-compliance with the IT rules. The plea says that Twitter must oblige its statutory and executive duties as a ‘significant’ social media intermediary. <div type="twitter" handle="LiveLawIndia" handlename="Live Law" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/897707258334916608/nMQWwGlo_normal.jpg" favoritecount="30" retweetcount="14" status="Plea Filed In Delhi High Court Against Twitter For Non-Compliance With IT Rules, 2021 @TwitterIndia,… https://t.co/QA7vnayJWl" createdat="1622184045000" id="1398167339372146690"></div> According to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/why-whatsapp-twitter-and-facebook-are-reluctant-to-comply-with-indias-new-it-rules/slidelist/82975313.cms">new guidelines</a>, ‘significant’ social media intermediaries are required to bring on local officers, take down posts at the government’s behest and, all in all, be better with their use of artificial intelligence (AI) when it comes to tracking down harmful content. Not everyone is on the same page about what this means and how to go around implementing it, especially since the government has been clamping down on criticism of its handling of the COVID-19 crisis. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Things were already bitter between the Indian government and Twitter" comment="subhead" text="Things were already bitter between the Indian government and Twitter">Things were already bitter between the Indian government and Twitter</cmsannotation> Authorities in India and Twitter were already in disagreement before the new rules were set to kick on May 26. Earlier in the month, the leaders of the ruling party alleged that there was a plot by the opposition to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, on Twitter, they shared the alleged <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/delhi-police-serves-notice-to-twitter-india-visits-office-in-connection-with-covid-toolkit-probe/articleshow/82929756.cms">‘COVID-19 Toolkit</a>’ document with criticisms of the Modi administration. <div type="image" title="VS (14)" msid="83030344" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The &amp;#39;COVID-19 Toolkit&amp;#39; allegedly complied by the opposition party in India, Congress&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Trouble began when the Jack Dorsey-owned social networking platform tagged these tweets as ‘manipulated media’ after a written complaint was sent in by Congress. What came next was not expected. On May 24, news broke that the police were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/delhi-police-serves-notice-to-twitter-india-visits-office-in-connection-with-covid-toolkit-probe/articleshow/82929756.cms">‘visiting’ Twitter’s offices</a> in Delhi and Gurgaon. The cops justified that the social media platform had been vague in its replies, which is why they were forced to come down to their offices in order to find the right person to serve with notice. <div type="twitter" handle="ANI" handlename="ANI" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1497864299/ani_mic_logo_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3675" retweetcount="537" status="Correction | Team of Delhi Police Special cell is carrying out searches* in the offices (in Lado Sarai, Delhi and G… https://t.co/35OtcFEeA8" createdat="1621868172000" id="1396842475537375232"></div> The only problem was that the offices were empty with the national capital, New Delhi, under lockdown and all of Twitter’s employees working from home. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Twitter fears for its employees" comment="subhead" text="Twitter fears for its employees">Twitter fears for its employees</cmsannotation> In the backdrop of authorities coming down to Twitter’s office, the company issued a statement that it will ‘try’ and comply with India’s new IT rules, but is afraid for the safety of its employees. “Right now, we are concerned by recent developments regarding our employees in India and the potential threat to freedom of expression for the people we serve,” it said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/Policy/status/1397818579106492419">tweet.</a> In April, the platform was asked to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/twitter-removed-tweets-that-criticized-indias-covid-19-response-after-the-countrys-government-asked-it-to-do-so/articleshow/82235431.cms">remove dozens of tweets</a> at the request of the government that were critical of the country’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Under the new rules, platforms like Twitter need to process official requests for content removal within a span of 36 hours. Failing to do so could expose its local employees to legal consequences, including arrest and up to seven years in jail. Twitter called out the authorities for using ‘<a href="https://twitter.com/Policy/status/1397818580511518724">intimidation tactics</a>’ and asserted that they would be taking a stand against elements of the new IT rules that obstruct online free speech. In order to comply with the new rules, the company asked for a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/twitter-requests-a-3-month-extension-to-comply-with-indias-new-intermediary-guidelines-says-it-is-concerned-about-intimidation-tactics/articleshow/82999473.cms">three-month extension.</a> <div type="twitter" handle="Policy" handlename="Twitter Public Policy" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1354490367823859713/QSpAvjQv_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1674" retweetcount="349" status="We plan to advocate for changes to elements of these regulations that inhibit free, open public conversation. We wi… https://t.co/2jBnH9SALr" createdat="1622100894000" id="1397818581950222343"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India hits back at Twitter for undermining the law of the land" comment="subhead" text="India hits back at Twitter for undermining the law of the land">India hits back at Twitter for undermining the law of the land</cmsannotation> With international media and civil liberties lawyers backing Twitter’s claims, the Indian government <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-government-slams-twitter-for-undermining-legal-system-asks-it-to-stop-beating-around-the-bush/articleshow/83026007.cms?utm_source=google_newsstand&amp;utm_medium=google_rssfeed&amp;utm_campaign=news_referral">took to the offensive</a>. <div type="twitter" handle="ANI" handlename="ANI" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1497864299/ani_mic_logo_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9890" retweetcount="3196" status="Twitter’s statement is an attempt to dictate its terms to the world’s largest democracy. Through its actions and de… https://t.co/2iis3yy2nG" createdat="1622118742000" id="1397893439560114179"></div> In a <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1397893439560114179">letter</a> to Twitter on May 28, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), asked the social media platform to ‘stop beating around the bush’. “Twitter has claimed that it is committed to the people of India. Ironically, this commitment of Twitter has been most invisible in recent times,” said the letter. It calls Twitter’s claims about the government obstructing freedom of speech and using intimidation tactics “totally baseless, fasle and an attempt to defame India to hide their own folies.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What happens to Twitter if it doesn’t comply with India’s new IT rules?" comment="subhead" text="What happens to Twitter if it doesn’t comply with India’s new IT rules?">What happens to Twitter if it doesn’t comply with India’s new IT rules?</cmsannotation> If Twitter doesn’t comply with the new rules, it risks losing legal status as an intermediary in the country. The ‘intermediary’ status is what protects social media platforms, like Twitter, from being prosecuted for posts made by users on their websites. Some fear that Twitter could get blocked altogether after the example set by the banning of Chinese short video app TikTok — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tiktok-ban-in-india-lifted-by-madras-high-court/articleshow/69029626.cms">more than once</a>. The platform had over 20 million active users in India, but it was blocked after the Indian government claimed that it was adhering to the law of the land. India is the biggest market for both Facebook and YouTube, and the third-biggest for Twitter. The new rules will affect all three giants, since they all have more than 5 million users putting them in the ‘significant’ social media intermediary category. Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp has also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-moves-the-delhi-high-court-against-indias-new-it-laws-says-report/articleshow/82965251.cms">taken a stand</a> against the new regulations. It is suing the Indian government for asking the platform to break encryption and thereby violate the users’ right to privacy. “Requiring messaging apps to ‘trace’ chats is the equivalent of asking us to keep a fingerprint of every single message sent on WhatsApp, which would break end-to-end encryption and fundamentally undermines people’s right to privacy,” the company told Business Insider in a statement.

Twitter is at odds with the Indian government over new laws — reigniting the age-old battle of national interest versus freedom of speech

<ul><li>The ED issued a summons for popular Hindi film actor <keyword id="6357861" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ranbir-kapoor" source="Orion">Ranbir Kapoor</keyword> a month back while investigating the <keyword id="15960875" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mahadev-app" source="Orion">Mahadev App</keyword> case.</li><li>The investigation started after a lavish wedding in UAE budgeted at Rs 250 crore drew the ED’s attention.</li><li>BJP and Congress are trading allegations regarding the app’s ban timing.</li></ul> The Mahadev App, a live betting platform, promoted by Ravi Uppal and Sourabh Chandrakar has allegedly earned Rs 5,000 crore through a scam. The Directorate of Enforcement or ED says that the grand Rs 250-crore wedding of Sourabh Chandrakar in the United Arab Emirates prompted an investigation. The alleged scam has drawn in popular Hindi film actor, Ranbir Kapoor who has also been questioned in this investigation. Additionally, the BJP and the Congress are locked in a war of political allegations over this matter as the Chhattisgarh election draws near. Here is what we know so far about this multifaceted case. Why is Mahadev betting app back in news? The Indian central government has imposed blocking orders against 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including platforms like Mahadev Book Online and Reddyannaprestopro after an investigation into the Mahadev App. So, what does the Mahadev app do? The Mahadev Book App, before getting banned, provided a platform for betting on live games such as cricket, football, tennis, poker, etc. in India. It functioned through several websites and allowed betting advertisements. Why was Ranbir Kapoor questioned? While investigating the case, the ED issued a summons for popular Hindi film actor Ranbir Kapoor on October 6. The ED probe into the Mahadev app showed that Ranbir Kapoor was paid by the application promoters for endorsing their gaming platform. Allegedly, the payment made to Ranbir Kapoor could have come from the proceeds of the crime. Thus, the Bollywood star was asked to come before investigating authorities. Politics over Mahadev: The BJP vs Cong war of words Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar did not send any request to block these platforms despite having powers to do so alleges the Chhattisgarh government. However, in a post on social media platform X (earlier known as Twitter), Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "ED has been investigating the 'Mahadev App' case for several months. Still, it is surprising that it took so much time to ban it." He claimed that the demand to ban Mahadev App was also first made by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on August 24. What is the accusation against CM Baghel? The BJP has accused the state chief minister of being in the know about the scam. The BJP's IT Cell chief Amit Malviya has further claimed that the betting app ran under the patronage of "Bhupesh Baghel's police", adding that several police officers also "collaborated" in the scam. What has the ED said about the investigation? The Enforcement Directorate said a person, identified as Asim Das, was sent from the UAE to deliver a large amount of cash for the election expenses of the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh. The ED has also claimed Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was paid Rs 508 crore by the promoters of the Mahadev betting app.

Explained: The hullabaloo over the Mahadev App that dragged Ranbir Kapoor to the ED office

<ul><li>The observations were made in Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression</li><li>"We understand the new Rules were issued under the Information Technology Act of 2000 and therefore, were not subject to parliamentary review or opened for consultation with stakeholders," the report said.</li><li>Check out the latest news and updates on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>. </li></ul>Experts at <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> Office of the Human Rights Commissioner have said in a report that it is concerned that Indias Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, in their current form, do not conform with international human rights norms. The observations were made in Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/why-whatsapp-twitter-and-facebook-are-reluctant-to-comply-with-indias-new-it-rules/slidelist/82975313.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Here’s what India’s new IT rules want — and why WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and others are reluctant to comply</a> The report is authored by Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and Joseph Cannataci, Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. "As noted in previous communications sent to your Excellency's Government, we are concerned that these new rules come at a time of a global pandemic and of large-scale farmer protests in the country, where the enjoyment of the freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to receive information, and the right to privacy, is particularly important for the realisation of several other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights," the report said. "We would like to recall that restrictions to freedom of expression must never be invoked as a justification for the muzzling of any advocacy of multiparty democracy, democratic tenets and human rights," the report said. The report said as a global leader in technology innovation, India has the potential to develop a legislation that can place it at the forefront of efforts to protect digital rights. However, the substantially broadened scope of the Rules is likely to do just the opposite. "We would therefore encourage the Government to take all necessary steps to carry out a detailed review of the Rules and to consult with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society dealing with human rights, freedom of expression, privacy rights and digital rights", the report said. "We understand the new Rules were issued under the Information Technology Act of 2000 and therefore, were not subject to parliamentary review or opened for consultation with stakeholders. We believe such consultations with relevant stakeholders are essential in order to ensure the final text is compatible with India's international legal obligations, in particular with Articles 17 and 19 of the ICCPR," it added. This observation along with India's comment will also subsequently be made available in the usual report to be presented to the Human Rights Council, it added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/twitter-is-at-odds-with-india-in-the-battle-to-control-online-speech/articleshow/83030224.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Twitter is at odds with the Indian government over new laws — reigniting the age-old battle of national interest versus freedom of speech</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/delhi-police-serves-notice-to-twitter-india-visits-office-in-connection-with-covid-toolkit-probe/articleshow/82929756.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Delhi Police serves notice to Twitter India, visits office, in connection with 'COVID toolkit' probe</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/twitter-may-now-be-directly-responsible-for-every-single-tweet-in-india/articleshow/83565645.cms">Twitter may now be directly held responsible for every single tweet in India</a>

A UN report says India's new IT rules do not conform with international human rights norms

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jack Dorsey said India raided homes of Twitter's workers when the company refused to ban some accounts.</li><li>Dorsey said India, the world's biggest democracy, also threatened to shut Twitter down in the country.</li></ul>Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said India's government previously raided the homes of the company's employees when the platform refused to comply with censorship demands.Speaking on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS7xmb3UhCU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast "Breaking Points"</a> hosted on Tuesday by Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, Dorsey recalled his dealings with powerful people attempting to influence Twitter's operations while he still ran the company."India is a country that had many requests of us around the farmers' protest, around particular journalists that were critical of the government," Dorsey said. "And it manifested in ways such as: 'We will shut, put her down in India,' which is a very large market for us.""'We will raid the homes of your employees,' which they did," Dorsey continued. "'We will shut down your offices if you don't follow suit.' And this is India, a democratic country."Dorsey's remarks come two years after Twitter began facing a wave of demands from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to clamp down on dissent and criticism on the platform.One major incident <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitters-india-standoff-dragged-in-journalists-and-activists-2021-2">involved the farmers' protests in January 2021</a>, when tens of thousands of farmers gathered in Delhi to object to agricultural laws. The Indian government asked Twitter to permanently ban accounts that were aggressively critical of the government, which the platform refused to do."In keeping with our principles of defending protected speech and freedom of expression, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians," Twitter said in a statement then.Tensions escalated further when the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-indian-government-is-escalating-its-fight-to-censor-social-media-2021-5">government issued a law in May 2021,</a> which made tech companies and employees liable for prosecution and prison sentences if they refused takedown orders.The same month, police in India <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/24/22451271/police-india-raid-twitter-tweets-government-manipulated-media">raided Twitter's office in Delhi and Gurgaon,</a> as part of an investigation over the platform labeling an Indian minister's tweets as "manipulated media."On Tuesday, India's information technology minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, <a href="https://twitter.com/Rajeev_GoI/status/1668455627319033857">tweeted</a> that Dorsey's claim about Twitter employees' homes being raided was an "outright lie."Accused Twitter of "partisan behavior," Chadrasekhar said the platform had violated Indian law amid the local government's attempt to quash misinformation.Chandrasekhar did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Insider. Representatives for Dorsey's company, Block, did not immediately respond to a similar request for Dorsey sent outside regular business hours.

Jack Dorsey said India raided the homes of Twitter employees when the company wouldn't shut down accounts for the government

<ul><li><keyword id="3518161" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="koo">Koo</keyword> is a microblogging platform and is available in English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Bengali and Malayalam.</li><li>The barely 10-month old app Koo has now crossed over 3 million downloads, registering a 10X growth since December, 2020.</li><li><keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> users are jumping on to the Made in India app Koo, as they dismiss the Jack Dorsey-led global social media giant over its recent controversies with the Indian government.</li></ul>The one app that everyone’s talking about on Twitter today is its Indian alternative Koo. India’s Hindu right wing upped its ante against Twitter, with #BanTwitter, they promoted the homegrown alternative, Koo, which led to a windfall. The barely 10-month old app Koo has now crossed over 3 million downloads, registering a 10X growth since December, 2020. Enjoying their moment in the sun are founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, co-founders of Koo, which is a microblogging platform and is available in English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Bengali and Malayalam. <div type="image" title="koo" msid="80788103" hostid="261"></div> It’s hockey stick for both Twitter and Koo The recent standoff between Twitter and the Indian government, which wanted the social media giant to ban <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/twitter-accounts-block-govt-notice-khalistan-sympathiser-pakistan-7179728/">certain handles</a>, has become a bane for Jack Dorsey and a boon for Koo. Twitter declined the Indian government’s request to ban certain handles of journalists, activists as doing so “"would violate their fundamental right to free expression under Indian law". Soon after, country’s top ministers like Piyush Goyal to bollywood actors like Anupam Kher and Kangana Ranaut, hundreds of verified profiles on Twitter are jumping on to the Made in India app Koo. “Last few days we have seen a hockey stick growth, we have got more users than we expected. It was unplanned, sudden and it’s very overwhelming but we are happy that people are willing to try out this Indian product,” said Bidawatka in an interview to Business Insider in the middle of what he describes a crazy day. <div type="twitter" handle="PiyushGoyal" handlename="Piyush Goyal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1242114357682515971/x6zWYqzZ_normal.jpg" favoritecount="13089" retweetcount="3572" status="I am now on Koo. Connect with me on this Indian micro-blogging platform for real-time, exciting and exclusive upd… https://t.co/L09sLRtzDM" createdat="1612859791000" id="1359058583934013442"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="KanganaTeam" handlename="Kangana Ranaut" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1328363769848709120/RYB3_4Fd_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6829" retweetcount="1526" status="Your time is up @Twitter time to shift to #kooapp will inform everyone soon about my account details there. Absolu… https://t.co/lJNwf0zWh8" createdat="1612953243000" id="1359450551126269952"></div> And the <keyword id="10739078" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Koo-founders">Koo founders</keyword>, who admire Twitter’s product, found their app as one of the top trends on Twitter. “It's unfortunate that certain events have unfolded and you know, that things are being questioned. The fact that we can trend on that platform shows how democratic that platform is,” said Bidawatka. Both Bidawatka and Radhakrishna ⁠— are serial entrepreneurs, the latter having previously founded TaxiForSure and sold it to the unicorn Ola⁠— were always working on an Indian alternative to Twitter. But they didn’t think the opportunity would emerge out of a controversy. <div type="image" title="Koo2" msid="80788255" hostid="261"></div> A few months ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had mentioned Koo in his monthly address to the people. That brought the first big wave of users to the platform. Listen to this podcast with the founders of Koo, recorded after they won the Atmanirbhar app challenge by the Indian government in August, 2020. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> While they admired Twitter for the product that it was, the founders saw an opportunity. “Indians that don't speak in English were not well represented there, for example, there were very few Kannada, Tamil, tweets. Nothing close to the potential of our internet using population. We wanted to build an immersive experience on the product,” he said. The two men also run Vokal, a vernacular question and answer knowledge sharing app, they understood the languages space and found experts on their platform still missing a place to express their thoughts. “We know the vernacular story and power of Indian languages. The microblogging format is very all encompassing, it's easy to create and consume,” said Bidawatka. And that’s how Koo was formed. Koo also raised $4.1 million as part of its Series A funding recently from 3one4 Capital, Accel Partners, Kalaari Capital, Blume Ventures and Dream Incubator. While the valuation of the company, remains undisclosed, Bidawatka said they found the right set of investors who believe in their product, even if it's just 10-month old. And as users keep pouring into Koo, the 40-member team is on overdrive to keep things running. Even while there are teething issues, like every small company has. “We are dealing with the scale that has been thrown at us,” he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/what-happens-if-the-government-bans-cryptocurrencies-should-i-sell-bitcoin-checkout-experts-views/articleshow/80782941.cms">“Should I sell my cryptocurrencies?” and other questions answered on India’s proposed Crypto Ban bill</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-is-considering-four-day-work-weeks-but-with-longer-hours/articleshow/80763247.cms">India is considering four-day work weeks but with longer shifts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/what-is-facial-recognition-technology-and-how-india-is-using-it-to-track-down-protestors-and-individuals/articleshow/80782606.cms">India is ramping up the use of facial recognition to track down individuals without any laws to keep track of how this technology is being used</a>

Twitter’s Indian rival Koo has crossed 3 million downloads as ministers and actors got down to promoting it⁠— the founders are ecstatic

The Centre is all set to ban 54 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/chinas-twitter-like-platform-weibo-says-it-banned-2000-accounts-and-deleted-more-than-71000-posts-following-online-abuse-of-olympic-athletes/articleshow/89469028.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Chinese mobile applications</a> which are posing threat to national security, the sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Monday. According to sources, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-electronics-manufacturing-and-exports-can-reach-300-billion-by-2025-26-meity-icea/articleshow/89093528.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology</a> (MeitY), has identified these applications which belong to major Chinese tech companies like Tencent, Alibaba and NetEase and the applications include such as Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera - Selfie Camera, Equalizer &amp; Bass Booster, Tencent Xriver, ect. The sources also said that many of these applications are refurbished versions of apps already banned by India in 2020. The latest move could be a fallout of the current standoff between India and China locked in a protracted border dispute. This is the first lot of apps to be banned by the government this year after a total of 270 apps were banned since 2020. The MeitY had banned 59 <keyword id="6022999" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese-apps" source="Orion">Chinese apps</keyword> in June 2020 referring to them as being 'prejudicial' to India's sovereignty, integrity and national security. The list included the popular smartphone app TikTok, Helo, WeChat, Kwai, Clash of Kings, Alibaba's UC Browser and UC News, Likee, Bigo Live, Shein, Club Factory, and Cam Scanner besides others. Recently, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on February 10 informed the Rajya Sabha that it had blocked 60 Pakistan backed YouTube Channels which were circulating fake news against the Government. Replying to question on actions taken against fake news and propaganda by the communication agencies, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan informed the Upper House that the government has blocked 60 YouTube channels including their all social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram of those channels which were involved in circulating fake news against the Indian government and were backed by Pakistan.

Indian government to ban 54 Chinese apps posing threat to national security

With <keyword id="6354616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="twitter" source="Orion">Twitter</keyword> once again taking the Indian government to court, the debate has reignited over insufficient IT laws -- demanding the clearance of new IT Rules, 2021 as soon as possible -- to tame <keyword id="1781932" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="big-tech" source="Orion">Big Tech</keyword> and penalise them if found not complying with the law of the land, amid a completely changed digital landscape from two decades ago. When the IT Act, 2000 was passed, there was no social media presence. Today, platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are dictating the public discourse and being used for disseminating fake news and trolls from across the spectrum. The <keyword id="6363148" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="information-technology" source="Orion">Information Technology</keyword> Act, 2000, which got amended only in 2008, is neither a data privacy law nor a data protection law. In such a scenario, is its Section 69A sufficient to book social media biggies and even penalise them for not complying with the government content blocking orders, especially when it comes to national security? According to New Delhi-based cyberlaw expert Virag Gupta, two decades back, intermediaries were acting as the messenger carrying a message from point A to point B, without interfering in it in any manner. "Nowadays, social media platforms are aggressively active and no longer playing the role of a conventional intermediary," Gupta told IANS. Twitter is an intermediary as per the Indian law which has to compulsorily comply with directions issued by the authorities under section 69A of the IT Act. According to experts, failure to comply with any such directions would take away the indemnity provided under section 79 of the IT Act. "Section 69A of the IT Act gives immense and extraordinary power to the government for blocking the content, which can be challenged before the High Court or Supreme Court," said Gupta. However, its purpose is to maintain public order, prevent cognisable offences and protect sovereignty, integrity, defence, security and <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s friendly relation with foreign states. Freedom of speech is guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. However there are many restrictions under Article 19(2), which are part of the Section 69A of the IT Act. "So in such matters of national security, judicial review of the government orders may not be normally allowed," Gupta told IANS. Twitter was also involved in a legal battle in the Delhi High Court last year with the Centre over not complying with the Information Technology (<keyword id="7206149" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="intermediary-guidelines" source="Orion">Intermediary Guidelines</keyword> and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, that aim to redefine India's digital landscape. After Twitter went to the Karnataka High Court this time, the government reiterated that all Internet intermediaries and social media platforms have to comply with the law of the land. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that "be it any company, in any sector, they should abide by the laws of India". Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that all foreign intermediaries and platforms have a right to approach the court and judicial review in India. "But equally, all intermediary/platforms operating here have an unambiguous obligation to comply with our laws and rules," Chandrasekhar emphasised. The IT Minister has given the hint for a new IT Act to fight multiple cyber challenges faced by the authorities and users. The republished draft by the IT Ministry has revealed a plan to form an appeals panel that can reverse content moderation decisions by Big Tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The new IT rules also require big social media platforms to help the government trace the originator of messages in special cases. "The intermediary shall respect the rights accorded to citizens under the constitution," according to the new draft. By virtue of Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021, the moment any intermediary including any significant social media intermediary does not comply with the Information Technology Rules, they automatically lose their statutory exemption from legal liability. Further, they become liable for being punished for various offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860. "There is actually no rationale for any service providers not to comply with the applicable law in India. The Internet service providers and social media platforms ought to comply with the rules immediately so as to prevent any potential future legal consequences," said Pavan Duggal, a seasoned Supreme Court advocate and a cyber law expert. The government is clearly entitled to take action for criminal prosecution against the service provider as per Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021. Further, all affected persons who have been affected by the inactions of the service provider, can sue the service provider, both for legal action and also for criminal liability, Duggal added. "The ultimate idea is to give a deterrent message to all service providers that they will have to ensure compliance with the applicable laws, otherwise they will continue to keep on facing legal consequences under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules and regulations," Duggal told IANS. "The thumb rule is very clear: if you have to operate in India, then you have to ensure compliance with the applicable Indian law, otherwise you will be prepared to face the legal consequences emerging there from," he added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/facebook-insta-and-google-took-down-over-21-million-posts-in-may-while-whatsapp-and-twitter-banned-over-19-lakh-bad-accounts/articleshow/92698950.cms">Facebook, Insta and Google took down over 21 million posts in May while WhatsApp and Twitter banned over 19 lakh ‘bad’ accounts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/big-tech-should-obey-the-law-of-the-land-says-india-after-twitter-goes-to-court/articleshow/92689452.cms">Big Tech should obey the law of the land says India, after Twitter goes to court</a>

Opinion: There is a need to pass the IT Rules, 2021 to tame social media platforms like Twitter

Micro-blogging website Twitter has complied with the <keyword id="296566" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="it-ministry" source="Orion">IT Ministry</keyword>'s last notice within the final July 4 deadline, after receiving a warning to either comply with new IT Rules, 2021 or face stricter action. Reliable sources told IANS on Tuesday that the company finally complied with the June 27 notice sent by the <keyword id="3524863" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-electronics" source="Orion">Ministry of Electronics</keyword> and IT (MeitY) over taking action on some controversial tweets. A query sent to Twitter <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> went unanswered. The government had asked Twitter to act on the content take-down notices sent under Section 69A of the <keyword id="6379296" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="it-act" source="Orion">IT Act</keyword> along with non-compliance notices issued for not taking the content down. Not complying with the IT rules, 2021 could have resulted in Twitter losing its immunity as a social media intermediary under Section 79 of the IT Act. In May, the IT Ministry issued a similar notice to the micro-blogging platform, directing it to appoint a resident grievance officer, a resident chief compliance officer, and a nodal contact person. The <keyword id="6363148" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="information-technology" source="Orion">Information Technology</keyword> (<keyword id="7206149" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="intermediary-guidelines" source="Orion">Intermediary Guidelines</keyword> and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 mandate that the intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, must establish a grievance redressal mechanism for receiving resolving complaints from the users or victims. Meanwhile, Twitter banned more than 46,000 accounts of Indian users in May over violation of its guidelines, the microblogging platform said in its monthly compliance report. According to the report, Twitter removed 43,656 accounts for child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and similar content, while 2,870 accounts were banned for promoting terrorism. The platform received 1,698 complaints in India via its local grievance mechanism between April 26, 2022 and May 25, 2022. In addition, Twitter also processed 115 grievances which appealed account suspensions. No account suspensions were revoked, the report said. Under the new IT Rules 2021, big digital and social media platforms, with more than 5 million users, have to publish monthly compliance reports. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/eknath-shinde-wants-a-breather-and-spend-time-with-families/articleshow/92666818.cms">Eknath Shinde wants a 'breather' and spend time with families</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/30-large-reservoirs-in-india-dip-to-a-decadal-low-after-erratic-rains-in-june/articleshow/92665877.cms">30 large reservoirs in India dip to a decadal low after erratic rains in June</a>

Twitter complies with new IT rules issued by Ministry of Electronics and IT

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword> was banned from <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> on January 8, and heavily restricted on other platforms.</li><li>Activists are urging similar action against other populist leaders, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/17/trump-social-media-ban-jair-bolsonaro-narendra-modi">The Observer reported</a>.</li><li>Those leaders include Brazilian president <keyword id="4410893" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="jair-bolsonaro">Jair Bolsonaro</keyword> and Indian PM <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>.</li></ul>President Trump's social media ban has opened a can of worms for tech firms who face calls from activists and academics to clamp down on other populist leaders such as Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and India's Narendra Modi.Trump was suspended from <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> on January 7, a day after supporters of the president sieged the US Capitol. He was subsequently booted off Twitter - his primary channel for broadcasting messages to an audience of millions - and YouTube.Now that tech firms have shown themselves willing to clamp down on political leaders in extreme circumstances, critics and rivals wonder how long Bolsonaro and Modi can remain exempt, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/17/trump-social-media-ban-jair-bolsonaro-narendra-modi">The Observer first reported</a>.Bolsonaro has been widely compared to Trump for his populist views. Like Trump, the Brazilian president has consistently downplayed the coronavirus pandemic, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-facebook-block-jair-bolsonaro-coronavirus-misinformation-2020-3">Twitter and Facebook in March removing</a> some of his videos for spreading misinformation.<div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks with journalists as he arrives at Alvorada Palace, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 22, 2020. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo" height="2331" width="3109" msid="80316853" hostid="261"></div>The Observer noted that Bolsonaro, like Trump, has questioned his country's electoral system. He also joined a pro-dictatorship rally, sister newspaper The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/20/jair-bolsonaro-dictatorship-rally-protest-brazil-president-denounced">reported</a>. Bolsonaro was also helped to his position by social media. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/11/world/americas/youtube-brazil.html">According to The New York Times</a>, he was already popular as a right-wing YouTuber while still a lawmaker.Left-leaning Brazilian politician Marcelo Freixo tweeted on January 9: "And Twitter put a muzzle on Trump. We will need another one for Brazil <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter">@Twitter</a>."In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not as openly inflammatory on social media.However, politicians from the ruling BJP Party <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346">have been accused of hate speech on Facebook</a>.Shashi Tharoor, a politician with the rival Congress party, tweeted on January 9: "For those crying foul on a <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter">@Twitter</a> suspension: curbing the freedom of expression of those who incite violence &amp; other anti-democratic behaviour is needed here too."Those who try to curb the rights &amp; liberties of people they're elected to lead shouldn't be given an enabling platform."The Observer also quoted an academic, the University of Arkansas School of Law's Khaled A Beydoun, who said booting Modi from Twitter would be the "logical next move."Not all moderate politicians are so gung-ho. Several European figures, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, suggested tech firms should not be regulating political leaders.A spokesman for Merkel's government said this week, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-european-leaders-question-twitter-donald-trump-ban/">per Politico</a>: "The fundamental right [of freedom of expression] can be interfered with, but along the lines of the law and within the framework defined by the lawmakers."Not according to the decision of the management of social media platforms."

You Searched For "Twitter ban India" and got 12 results

Elon Musk talks a lot about free speech. But account suspensions on X have skyrocketed.

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Twitter India bans accounts of Pakistan embassies in UN, Iran, Egypt and Turkey

IANS

Twitter loses its legal protection in India: What it could mean for the platform and brands

Karuna Sharma

Twitter is at odds with the Indian government over new laws — reigniting the age-old battle of national interest versus freedom of speech

Prabhjote Gill

Explained: The hullabaloo over the Mahadev App that dragged Ranbir Kapoor to the ED office

Abhishek Jha

A UN report says India's new IT rules do not conform with international human rights norms

IANS

Jack Dorsey said India raided the homes of Twitter employees when the company wouldn't shut down accounts for the government

Matthew Loh

Twitter’s Indian rival Koo has crossed 3 million downloads as ministers and actors got down to promoting it⁠— the founders are ecstatic

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Indian government to ban 54 Chinese apps posing threat to national security

IANS

Opinion: There is a need to pass the IT Rules, 2021 to tame social media platforms like Twitter

IANS

Twitter complies with new IT rules issued by Ministry of Electronics and IT

IANS

After Trump's Twitter ban, critics want other populists like Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and India's Narendra Modi booted from social media

Shona Ghosh

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