Heading: India Threatened to Shut Down Twitter, Says Co-founder Jack Dorsey
India, Nigeria, and Turkey have been accused by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey of threatening to shut down the platform unless it complied with government requests to restrict accounts and remove posts critical of the respective governments. In an interview with YouTube news show Breaking Points, Dorsey revealed that India had threatened to shut down Twitter in the country, raid the homes of its employees, and take legal action if the company did not comply with government demands related to protests by farmers in 2020 and 2021.
Heading: Indian Government Denies Allegations of Online Censorship
The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has denied engaging in online censorship and dismissed Dorsey’s allegations as an “outright lie.” Rajeev Chandrasekhar, junior minister for information technology, stated on Twitter that no one was jailed or Twitter shut down in India. He accused Dorsey’s Twitter regime of not accepting the sovereignty of Indian law.
Heading: Farmers’ Protests and Government Requests
The protests by farmers in India over agricultural reforms lasted for a year and posed a significant challenge to the Modi government and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Dorsey confirmed that India had made numerous requests to Twitter regarding the farmers’ protests and specific journalists critical of the government. During the protests, the Indian government requested the blocking of the Twitter hashtag “#ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide” and several accounts deemed provocative. Twitter initially complied but later restored most of the accounts, citing insufficient justification for the suspensions.
Heading: Deteriorating Press Freedom in India
India’s press freedom ranking has declined significantly since Modi took office in 2014. The country now ranks 161 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, its lowest ranking ever. This decline raises concerns about freedom of speech and human rights in the country.
Heading: Nigeria and Turkey’s Pressure on Twitter
Dorsey also revealed similar pressure from the governments of Nigeria and Turkey. In Nigeria, Twitter faced restrictions and was unable to have employees on the ground due to fears of government actions against them. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria had a strained relationship with Twitter, which was often used by youths, civil society, and dissidents to expose human rights abuses by the government. Nigeria suspended Twitter in 2021 but lifted the ban after Twitter reportedly agreed to open a local office and comply with Nigerian laws.
Heading: Turkey’s Threats to Shut Down Twitter
Turkey, like India, constantly threatened to shut down Twitter despite the platform’s victories in Turkish courts. Dorsey highlighted the challenges faced by Twitter in Turkey but did not provide further details.
Heading: Big Tech’s Struggles in India
Dorsey’s allegations shed light on the difficulties faced by foreign technology giants operating under Modi’s government. Google, Facebook, and Twitter have been criticized by the Indian government for not doing enough to combat fake or “anti-India” content on their platforms. The former Twitter CEO’s public criticism of the Indian government is unusual for global companies operating in India.
Heading: Conclusion
Jack Dorsey’s revelations about India, Nigeria, and Turkey’s pressure on Twitter highlight the challenges faced by social media platforms when dealing with governments’ demands for content restrictions. The allegations also raise concerns about press freedom and freedom of speech in these countries. As technology continues to play a significant role in shaping public discourse, it is crucial to strike a balance between government regulations and protecting users’ rights to express their opinions freely online.