Twitter-Government Showdown: Here's A Complete Timeline Of The Controversy

In recent days, Twitter and the government of India have been embroiled in a controversy that doesn't seem to end. The microblogging website is facing immense criticism from the central government for violating the Indian law by unblocking accounts it had been directed to withhold. What started with a bunch of tweets about the farmers' protest could now land Twitter executives in jail for up to seven years.

Here's all you need to know about what happened.

Centre tells Twitter to block accounts

Last Monday, 257 Twitter URLs had been blocked following a directive dated January 31, 2021, from India's IT Ministry under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The details of the directive were not made public at the time, however, the Act seeks to protect India's security and sovereignty. Later that day, officials of Twitter and the Ministry had held a meeting.

Twitter

Twitter unblocks, points to "free speech"

The withheld accounts¡ªwhich included Kisan Ekta Morcha and The Caravan magazine's Twitter handles¡ªwere unblocked after the meeting. Twitter said the flagged content constituted "free speech" and was "newsworthy."

The content included tweets with the hashtag '#ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide'.

However, the government reportedly never allowed the company to reverse the action, condemning the "insult" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the "fake, intimidatory and provocative tweets."

AP

Govt send notice, warns of action

Thereafter, the government sent a notice to Twitter for reinstating the accounts in violation of its directive. The government issued a warning to Twitter, ordering it to comply with the directive, and also threatened action if it failed to do so.

The government warned that Twitter's top executives could face up to a seven-year jail term for failing to remove "objectionable and inflammatory content."

Reuters

Twitter India's top executive quits

There has been growing criticism for both the government and Twitter. While some members of the public have made calls for Twitter to quit India, others criticize the government for cracking down on free speech.

The exit of Twitter's Public Policy Director for India and South Asia, Mahima Kaul, also sparked conversations, although a statement claimed the resignation was unrelated to the recent developments.

Govt objects to CEO Jack "liking" some tweets

The government on February 4 shared a list of 1,178 more accounts it wants blocked, claiming those belong to Pakistani and Khalistani users that allegedly threaten public order. Reportedly, the government has raised objections to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey "liking" a few tweets by foreign celebrities in support of the farmers' protest.

Reuters

Twitter releases statement

A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement, "If we receive a valid legal request about potentially illegal content on Twitter, we review it under the Twitter Rules and local law. If the content violates Twitter's Rules, the content will be removed from the service." It said, "If it's determined to be illegal in a particular jurisdiction but not in violation of the Twitter Rules, we may withhold access to the content in the location only."

"In all cases, we notify the accountholder directly so they're aware we've received a legal order pertaining to the account," it said, adding that Twitter's goal is respecting local law and free expression.

Unsplash

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and some other government departments have set up accounts on native micro-blogging site Koo, the homegrown firm said.

Koo said it has so far verified handles of MeitY, MyGov, Digital India, India Post, National Informatics Centre, National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Common Services Centre, UMANG app, Digi Locker, National Internet Exchange of India, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, among others, on its platform.