X says India's demand to block accounts curtails freedom of expression
Social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) has acknowledged the removal of certain accounts and posts in compliance with an order from the Indian government, reportedly associated with the ongoing farmer protests advocating for higher crop prices.
While the platform did not provide specific details about the removals, it expressed disagreement with the government's action, asserting that it amounts to a restriction on freedom of expression.
This development once again highlights the challenges faced by foreign technology giants operating in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The government has frequently criticized Google, Facebook, and X for what it perceives as insufficient efforts to combat fake or 'anti-India' content.
Numerous users have reported that their social media accounts are either blocked or subject to restrictions in India. X stated that its stance aligns with its continuous legal challenge against the Indian government's directives to block content.
'We will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts,' stated X's Global Government Affairs team in a post, refraining from disclosing the names of the affected accounts.
As of now, the Indian government has not issued any official statement regarding the matter.
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