Why is Twitter unhappy with the Indian government?
Twitter is a popular micro-blogging website. People use it to share funny pictures and jokes. They also use it to share and discuss news. Recently, the government ordered Twitter to remove some posts from its website. Twitter didn’t want to follow this order. So they decided to go to court, where a judge would decide which of them is right.
Why did the Indian government want some posts removed?
The government wanted Twitter to delete posts that criticised the manner in which the government handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government said that these posts had to be removed because they were against the Information and Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act).
What is the IT Act and what does it say?
The IT Act is an important law. It lets the government block posts from the public if the government thinks it can harm the country. According to the government, the posts they asked Twitter to remove could harm the country and so they had to be removed.
How did Twitter respond?
Twitter said that it did not think that the posts could harm the country. Instead, it wanted the posts to remain on the website since everyone had freedom of speech. If Twitter doesn’t follow the government’s orders, it may be banned from the country! Then nobody in India would be able to talk to their friends on Twitter!
What does this mean for free speech in India?
The Indian government has gotten Twitter to remove some posts from journalists. These journalists are trying to do their jobs by reporting the news.
Journalists and media always keep a watch on what the government is doing. That way, the government will do what’s right for the country!
Do you think it’s right to remove posts on Twitter just because they don’t agree with the government or point out what the government is doing wrong?
