Twitter ‘withholds’ 250 accounts citing ‘authorized calls for’
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Twitter accounts of actor Sushant Singh, Caravan India, and Prasad Bharti CEO blocked.
Micro running a blog web site Twitter on Monday, citing “legal demands” blocked a number of accounts together with that of a information web site, actor, political employees and bloggers that had been posting messages in help of the continuing farmers’ agitation.
One aberration was the account of Shashi Shekhar, the CEO of Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster that was additionally blocked.
A supply mentioned that Twitter was more likely to contest the order because the accounts are “not in violation of Twitter policy.”
The accounts had been taken down after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY), primarily based on a request by the Union Home Ministry requested Twitter to behave in opposition to 250 Twitter handles.
MEITY directed Twitter to dam round 250 Tweets/ Twitter accounts which had been utilizing #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide hashtag and making faux, intimidatory and provocative Tweets on Saturday.
“This was done on the request of Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies to prevent any escalation of law and order in view of the on-going farmer agitation. Incitement to genocide is a grave threat to public order and therefore MEITY ordered for blocking of these Twitter accounts and Tweets under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act,” a supply mentioned.
Vinod K. Jose. government editor, Caravan India mentioned on Twitter that their official deal with was “withheld” with out informing them.
The account of actor Sushant Singh who has been vocal in supporting the farmers’ protest and even visited the Singhu and Tikri borders in solidarity few days in the past was additionally withheld.
CPI(M)’s Polit Bureau member and former Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad Salim’s account was additionally withheld.
Account of Aarti, member of Aam Aadmi Party’s social media staff was additionally taken down.
A Twitter spokesperson, in an emailed response mentioned: Many nations have legal guidelines that will apply to Tweets and/or Twitter account content material. In our persevering with effort to make our providers out there to folks in all places, if we obtain a correctly scoped request from a certified entity, it might be essential to withhold entry to sure content material in a specific nation now and again. Transparency is important to defending freedom of expression, so we’ve a discover coverage for withheld content material. Upon receipt of requests to withhold content material, we’ll promptly notify the affected account holders (except we’re prohibited from doing so e.g. if we obtain a court docket order underneath seal).