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<keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> blocked posts tagged #ResignModi amid raging criticism of the <keyword id="26362" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government">government</keyword>'s handling of the <keyword id="8764262" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid">COVID</keyword> crisis, but restored it hours later calling it a mistake. The blocking on Wednesday, Facebook said, wasn't at the behest of the government. Facebook isn't the first social media company to censure posts critical of government handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Twitter had removed or restricted access to several critical posts on orders from the government, which called it fake news. "We temporarily blocked this hashtag by mistake, not because the Indian government asked us to, and have since restored it," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. It however did not elaborate. According to reports, a hashtag calling for the resignation of Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> was blocked on Facebook for hours on Wednesday. Users searching the hashtag were given a message that said such posts were "temporarily hidden here" because "some <keyword id="45859" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="content">content</keyword> in those posts goes against our Community Standards". Facebook periodically blocks hashtags and posts for a variety of reasons. Some of the blocks are done manually and some are automated. The blocking of posts tagged #ResignModi came ahead of polling in the last phase of West Bengal assembly elections. The Modi government has drawn a lot of flak in domestic and international media for handling of the second wave of COVID infections, which on Thursday crossed 1.8-crore mark. India reported 3,79,257 new COVID-19 cases and 3,645 new deaths - the deadliest day so far for any country hit by the <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword>. The US government has told its citizens to leave India as soon as possible. Social media timelines are filled with SOS calls with people looking for oxygen cylinders, medicines, hospital beds, plasma donors and ventilators. Organisations across the spectrum have come forward to support the fight against the COVID pandemic. Just a few days back, Twitter and other social media platforms removed about 100 posts and URLs after the government asked them to remove content that was critical of the handling of the current medical crisis or spreading fake news around the pandemic. Reports citing Lumen database, an independent research project studying cease and desist letters concerning online content, suggested that more than 50 posts - including those by a Member of <keyword id="6354721" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliament">Parliament</keyword>, MLA and filmmakers - were removed by Twitter on government request. Government sources had said the social media platforms were asked to remove the posts and URLs (uniform resource locators) to "prevent obstructions in the fight against the pandemic" and disruption of public order due to the said posts. They had added that the order was issued in view of the misuse of social media platforms by certain users to spread fake or misleading information and create panic about the pandemic in the society "by using unrelated, old and out of the context images or visuals, communally sensitive posts and misinformation about COVID-19 protocols". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-vaccine-india-needs-a-separate-queue-for-second-dose/articleshow/82304003.cms">India may end up wasting millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses if there is no separate queue for second shots</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/if-you-have-just-recovered-from-covid-19-experts-say-you-dont-need-to-join-in-on-the-rush-for-vaccination-immediately/articleshow/82302460.cms">If you have just recovered from COVID-19, experts say you don't need to join in on the rush for vaccination immediately</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/atlassian-says-its-employees-only-need-to-come-into-the-office-4-times-a-year-under-its-new-team-anywhere-policy/articleshow/82304516.cms">Atlassian says its employees only need to come into the office 4 times a year under its new 'Team Anywhere' policy</a>

Facebook blocks posts tagged #ResignModi ahead of polling in the last phase of West Bengal assembly elections — calls it a 'mistake'

<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."

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

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> has banned a right-wing politician in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> with a history of Islamophobic comments for violating its rules on promoting violence and hate.</li><li>The politician, <keyword id="990615" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="T-Raja-Singh">T Raja Singh</keyword>, is a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword>.</li><li>Facebook's attitude to Singh and other right-wing figures has been at the center of a political debate following a report last month that a Facebook exec in India opposed applying hate-speech rules to Singh on the grounds it might harm the company's business interests.</li></ul>Facebook has taken the decision to ban an Indian politician and member of the ruling party with a history of Islamophobic comments on the grounds that he violated the platform's rules on inciting hatred and violence.T Raja Singh is a member of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and in the past has said <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/mla-raja-singh-sticks-to-his-stand-on-rohingya-muslims/articleshow/77600747.cms">Rohingya Muslims should be shot</a>, called Muslim Indians traitors, and advocated for the destruction of mosques.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-under-pressure-in-india-bans-politician-for-hate-speech-11599105042?mod=djemalertNEWS">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported Thursday that Facebook said it had banned Singh from its platforms, including Instagram. "We have banned Raja Singh from Facebook for violating our policy prohibiting those that promote or engage in violence and hate from having a presence on our platform. The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove his account," a Facebook spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.Per the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/facebook-bans-bjp-politician-raja-singh/articleshow/77905014.cms">Times of India</a>, Singh responded to the ban by saying he hasn't used Facebook since April 2019, and requested he be allowed to make a new Facebook account. He also claimed his account was hacked in 2018.Facebook's approach to Singh has become the center of intense political debate in India following an explosive<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346"> Wall Street Journal</a> report last month. Facebook India employees told The Journal, the company's head of public policy in India Ankhi Das had resisted applying Facebook's "dangerous individual" rules to Singh because it could damage the company's business interests in India. The employees said this was part of a wider trend of "favoritism" towards the BJP and Hindu nationalist figures.Facebook's top exec in India Ajit Mohan was called to testify for two hours before a parliamentary panel on Wednesday to answer questions on <keyword id="1140913" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="political-bias">political bias</keyword> within the company. <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-facebook-india/indias-opposition-parties-quiz-facebook-over-political-bias-idUKKBN25T1EY">Reuters reports</a> lawmakers laid into the tech giant for failing to take down inflammatory posts from accounts linked to the BJP.Conversely the BJP has also accused Facebook of anti-conservative bias. The BJP's minister for communications, electronics and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fb-workers-abusing-pm-ravi-shankar-prasad-writes-to-zuckerbeg-over-political-bias/articleshow/77873516.cms">wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday</a> claiming there were instances of "bias and inaction" on Facebook towards people with "right of center ideology." He also accused Facebook employees of "abusing" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Facebook's policies on how it applies its moderation rules to political figures has come under intense fire this year. It announced in February <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-sheryl-sandberg-political-ads-argument-2020-2">it would not fact-check political ads</a>, and in May it left a post from President Trump which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-warning-trump-tweet-george-floyd-glorifying-violence-2020-5?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Twitter placed behind a warning for violating its rules on "glorifying violence"</a>

Facebook has banned an Indian politician from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party for violating its rules on hate speech

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s second coronavirus wave has overwhelmed hospitals.</li><li>But the government is focused on censoring discussion of its failures on <keyword id="6354632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-media">social media</keyword>.</li><li>A new law threatens social media employees with prison if firms don't comply with takedown orders.</li></ul>For countless Indians, <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> has been a way to track down medical supplies for friends and family sick with <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, as a second wave overwhelmed hospitals.But when one man appealed for oxygen for <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56894757">his sick grandfather</a> in April, he was arrested and charged with spreading misinformation. Authorities in Uttar Pradesh, where the man lived, claimed there was no shortage, dismissing "rumors and propaganda on social media."One head of an NGO in New Delhi, who asked for anonymity for fear of reprisal, told Insider he was called by police and told to shut down a Telegram channel he was running to procure medical supplies for those in need.Authorities have been going after the platforms themselves too. Earlier this week, police went to Twitter's offices in Delhi after the company labelled tweets by ministers from Prime Minister Narendra <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword>'s ruling <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> party as <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tweets-posted-by-five-more-bjp-politicians-tagged-as-manipulated-media/articleshow/82850940.cms">"manipulated media."</a><div type="image" title="Tweet manipulated media BJP member" height="1084" width="1084" msid="83062766" hostid="261"></div>They are also clamping down on more trivial matters. Last week, the government <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/india-asks-social-media-firms-remove-reference-indian-variant-coronavirus-2021-05-21/">ordered</a> <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> and Twitter to remove references to the "Indian variant" of coronavirus - despite the fact the government itself was happy to call<a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1712312"> another variant "South African."</a>Indian authorities' attempts to censor criticism have become more pronounced in recent months.A flashpoint came during anti-government farmers' protests in January, when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitters-india-standoff-dragged-in-journalists-and-activists-2021-2">Twitter refused a government request to permanently ban accounts on free speech grounds</a>.At that time, COVID-19 cases were low and ministers encouraged people to resume normal life. But a more severe second wave struck. Earlier in May, the country set a global record for cases recorded in one day - 414,188 - and its seven-day average of daily cases is still more than 200,000, more than double the peak of the first wave in September.<div type="image" title="India COVID daily cases May 28" height="2400" width="3400" msid="83062768" hostid="261"></div>Ministers have been condemned for not only failing to prepare for second wave, but allowing and even staging mass gatherings. In late April, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook were asked to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-asks-twitter-take-down-some-tweets-critical-its-covid-19-handling-2021-04-24/">censor dozens of tweets and posts</a> that criticized such failures.This week, the standoff is coming to a head. A new law came into force Wednesday that threatens tech companies and their employees with prosecution and potentially imprisonment if they don't comply with takedown orders within 36 hours.Twitter issued a statement Thursday condemning "intimidation tactics" against their employees and the new rules' "potential threat to freedom of expression."The statement vowed to continue a "constructive dialogue with the Indian Government" but added: "We plan to advocate for changes to elements of these regulations that inhibit free, open public conversation."Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have been refuges for dissent in India. <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/INDIA-2020-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf">A US State Department report</a> noted in March that Indian government officials were "involved in silencing or intimidating critical media outlets" through physical attacks, pressuring owners, as well as targeting sponsors and "encouraging frivolous lawsuits."Raman Jit Singh Chima, the Asia Policy Director at Access Now, a non-profit promoting digital civil rights, said the government's actions were creating a "chilling impact on free speech."He added the repressive action tended to happen "when they think they are under pressure or come under more online criticism."Pratik Sinha, who founded one of India's leading fact-checking platforms, AltNews, said the government had been content to leave social media alone before the farmers' protests, when it was enjoying praise and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-indias-farming-protests-didnt-become-covid-superspreader-events-2021-2">India appeared to have avoided a COVID-19 disaster</a>.<div type="image" title="Indian Farmers Protests" height="3322" width="4983" msid="83062773" hostid="261"></div>But Sinha said: "As soon as the narrative changed, people started using the very medium that has benefitted the ruling party for such a long time to voice their discontent ... they don't want these critical voices to come out." "These are clearly diversion tactics that the government is adopting in the middle of a pandemic."Samir Jain, policy director at digital rights think-tank the Center for Democracy and Technology, said threats of imprisonment were akin to "hostage provisions."He added the new rules would "only empower the government to escalate its attempts to stifle legitimate speech and further imperil the future of online free expression in India."Facebook and <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword> have both issued carefully-worded statements in response to the new rules, in contrast to Twitter's strongly-worded response.Google said it would "ensure that we're combating illegal content in an effective and fair way, and in order to comply with local laws in the jurisdictions that we operate in."A Facebook spokesperson told Insider that the company would "comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government."<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/25/whatsapp-sues-india-government/">WhatsApp, which belongs to Facebook, is suing the government</a>, saying the rules would allow authorities to trace the source of messages, a violation of the app's end-to-end encryption.Senior BJP member of parliament and former party vice-president Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, whose tweet was among those labelled "manipulated media" by Twitter, told Insider in a statement: "The refusal and reluctance of social media platforms to abide by the rules and regulations made applicable by the government is inexplicable.""Law of the land is supreme and nobody can disregard India's constitution," he added."Besides, the opaqueness of their algorithms and lack of transparency in their decision making makes their case of taking a unilateral decision of flagging some Tweets totally undemocratic."India is a robust and institutionalized democracy and the Government cannot allow any company to take us for granted."AltNews's Sinha said the government could not continue to suppress its failures over the pandemic."People are grieving. There's anger," he added. "You can't just suppress anger, it's bound to come out."

Social media was a lifeline for Indians as COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals. But the government wants to censor it.

<ul><li><keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> has sued the Indian Government over the new regulations that come into effect on Wednesday. </li><li>The Facebook-owned messaging service says the new laws mean an end to privacy. </li><li>WhatsApp says "traceability would break end-to-end encryption and fundamentally undermines people’s right to privacy."</li></ul>Update: WhatsApp has confirmed that it has moved to <keyword id="6355014" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi-high-court">Delhi High Court</keyword> for its concerns over "traceability" that has the potential to violate the privacy of Indian users. Messaging platform WhatsApp has reportedly filed a complaint against the government of India in Delhi, in an attempt to prevent the new Information Technology (IT) regulations from being enforced. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indian-government-assumes-the-right-to-block-digital-news-content-along-with-a-new-set-of-regulations/articleshow/81209053.cms">regulations</a> come into force from Wednesday, which is said to compel Facebook-owned Whatsapp to break encryption or privacy protection of its users. Unnamed sources familiar with the case have told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/exclusive-whatsapp-sues-india-govt-says-new-media-rules-mean-end-privacy-sources-2021-05-26/">Reuters</a> that the lawsuit filed by WhatsApp demands the Delhi High Court to declare that one of the new rules violates the right to privacy guaranteed by the constitution of India. It requires social media companies to identify the "first originator of the information" when authorities ask for it. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 were announced by the Centre on February 25, 2021, to regulate social media platforms by imposing a code of ethics and mandating a three-tier grievance redressal framework. One of the new laws gives the authorities the power to ask the companies to identify and reveal those accused of wrongdoing on their platform, but WhatsApp says it's practically not possible without compromising user privacy. Here's why WhatsApp is reluctant to abide by the new law WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted. It means the details of the person sending the message and the content of the message are untraceable to ensure privacy. Identifying the originator of a particular message will require the company to break encryption for receivers and originators of the message. Breaking encryption is against WhatsApp's policy of offering a secure platform to users, which doesn't compromise the privacy of the individual. “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. We have consistently joined civil society and experts around the world in opposing requirements that would violate the privacy of our users. In the meantime, we will also continue to engage with the Government of India on practical solutions aimed at keeping people safe, including responding to valid legal requests for the information available to us,” WhatsApp told Business Insider. The tussle between the Indian government and tech giants is getting fierce The new laws have escalated the tension between the BJP-led Indian government and the social media giants. Majorly because the time allowed to comply with the new laws is considered to be "too less" by these companies and there are a lot of missing details in the new set of rules. India is a key market for these companies and there have been several cases where the government of India has been found intimidating these platforms seeming to fulfil their party's personal agenda. Especially with <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword>, 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">sudden police visit</a> to its offices in Delhi and Gurgaon, a couple of days ago without giving a reason. The visit took place soon after the micro-blogging service had marked posts by BJP's spokesperson Sambit Patra and others as "manipulated media", which means there was forged content in that post. Twitter has also come under fire because it <a href="https://thewire.in/government/twitter-manipulated-media-sambit-patra-tweet-congress-toolkit">did not take down the ‘manipulated media’ mark</a> on the <keyword id="6354642" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> government's demands. The government was also seen suppressing social media companies to remove not only what it "believes" is misinformation on Covid-19, but also posts that criticise the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response to the grave second wave of the Covid-19 infections.

WhatsApp moves the Delhi High Court against India’s new IT laws concerning traceability of users

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> is threatening to jail <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> and <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> employees, The Wall Street Journal reported.</li><li>The threats are to pressure the tech companies to give up data related to the farmers protests.</li><li>Indian farmers have been protesting since late 2020 after the country passed agriculture reforms. </li></ul>India is reportedly threatening to jail <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>, Twitter, and Facebook employees to pressure the firms into sharing data related to the farmers protests.Sources told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/india-threatens-jail-for-facebook-whatsapp-and-twitter-employees-11614964542?mod=business_minor_pos4">The Wall Street Journal</a> the tech companies had been reluctant to provide India with the user data it requested. Indian farmers have staged a mass protest - among the largest in history - since late last year to demand the government repeal legislation that allowed farmers to sell directly to private buyers instead of selling to the government. Farmers argue selling to private buyers would <a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-farmers-protest-explained-1ccbf48d76a55a1061f40d9a1e951314">drive down prices</a> because the government guarantees a minimum price on all goods.Prime Minister Narendra <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> pushed for the farming laws to modernize Indian agriculture, but the widespread protest has riled a key voting bloc. The tense protest has resulted in violence, arrests, and the government's decision to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55872480">cut internet for farmers</a>.The Indian government wrote letters to Facebook and Twitter citing specific employees in the country who risk jail time if the firms don't comply, per The Journal.Tech firms and the Indian government have clashed on multiple occasions during the demonstration. Twitter restricted, and later <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/01/twitter-restricts-over-a-dozen-high-profile-accounts-in-india-following-legal-demand/">quietly restored</a>, the accounts of journalists and activists sharing information about the protest. The firm then said it suspended <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-takes-down-accounts-india-farmers-protests-modi-pressure-2021-2">up to 500 accounts</a> flagged by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology."I politely remind the companies, whether it is Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or WhatsApp or anyone, they are free to work in India, do business, but they need to respect the Indian Constitution," Ravi Shankar, the justice and technology minister, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitters-india-standoff-dragged-in-journalists-and-activists-2021-2">told India's parliament</a>.Last year, Facebook invested a record <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-jio-investment-poised-to-transform-indian-economy-2020-4">$5.7 billion</a> in the Indian telecommunications firm Jio, an move that could extend its reach into the world's second most populous country. India has more Facebook users than any other country, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/22/tech/facebook-india-hate-speech/index.html">CNN</a>.Facebook and Twitter did not provide additional comment to Insider.

India has reportedly threatened to jail Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp employees if the firms don't give up data regarding the farmers protests

<ul><li>The Election Commission of India is setting up a panel to analyse the relationship between news and social media platforms. </li><li>The panel will determine violations and possible penalties. </li><li>With the general elections around the corner, it’s speculated that religious and ethnic tensions will only increase in the coming months.</li></ul>The past few months India has been embroiled in increasing incidents of lynchings instigated, in part, by <keyword id="2479020" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fake-news">fake news</keyword> on social media platforms. And, in the light of the general elections drawing closer next year, the Election Commission of India has taken the initiative to <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/how-india-plans-to-curb-hate-speech-ahead-of-the-world-s-biggest-election-118081300038_1.html">establish a panel </a>that will analyse the interaction of social media and news. As per reports, the panel is going to examine the role of social media platforms like <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>, <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> and YouTube and recommend ways to deal with violations. Around the world, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines are also mulling over their options to counter fake news. Germany, on the other hand, has already passed a legislation that requires social media networks to remove hate speech from their platforms. A worrying trend In recent months, India has borne witness to a rise in religious and ethnic sentiment. In 2018 alone, there have been at least 24 people killed in the name of public justice where the accusations have been based on fake news of child kidnapping and cow smuggling. While some blame the lack of regulations over social media, the opposition party, along with the Supreme Court in India, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/lynching-due-to-rising-intolerance-supreme-court/articleshow/65032756.cms">blames</a> PM Modi and the ruling faction for the disturbing pattern of rising intolerance. Modi, on the other hand, <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/politics-on-lynchings-shows-perverse-mindset-says-pm-modi-on-opposition-criticism/story-b21x2hwxtOzYMVK55VvZcP.html">retaliated</a> by stating that reducing such cases to ‘mere statistics’ for the sake of politics shows a perverse mindset in a situation where there should be unity. In a prior attempt to curb fake news, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued a press release that stated that the accreditation of a journalist could be annulled if the person is found propagating or generating fake news in any way. But, that was scrapped within 24 hours. Rather than be about reducing fake news, the measure drew criticism that it was just another way to muzzle the Indian media. Because, if a piece of news is even ‘suspected’ to be fake, the journalist would be suspended for upto 15 days while the Press Council of India analyses the case. It’s also important to recognise that fake news is not an ‘India’ problem but a <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/intolerance-fake-news-not-just-medias-concern-its-a-global-problem/articleshow/60503565.cms">global</a> phenomenon. The ease and speed with which information can travel nowadays makes it easier for negative elements to take advantage of the system. With the elections coming up, it’s <a href="https://www.ucanews.com/news/fears-of-violence-loom-large-ahead-of-indian-election/82519">speculated</a> that intolerance may take a turn for the worse depending on whether the election is fought on the back of the Hindu nationhood ideology of Hindutva or economic growth and development.

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Facebook blocks posts tagged #ResignModi ahead of polling in the last phase of West Bengal assembly elections — calls it a 'mistake'

PTI

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

Facebook has banned an Indian politician from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party for violating its rules on hate speech

Isobel Asher Hamilton

Social media was a lifeline for Indians as COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals. But the government wants to censor it.

Shubham Agarwal

WhatsApp moves the Delhi High Court against India’s new IT laws concerning traceability of users

Sudhanshu Singh

India has reportedly threatened to jail Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp employees if the firms don't give up data regarding the farmers protests

Allana Akhtar

India sets up a panel to monitor fake news ahead of the general elections

Prabhjote Gill

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