X Removes India Farmer Protest Content Following Government Order

John Lopez, Tech Times 22 February 2024, 05:02 am

In a recent development, social media platform X has taken down specific accounts and posts in response to an order from the Indian government. This action is believed to be linked to the ongoing farmer protests in the country.

The government's directive has prompted X to comply with the order. However, the platform has expressed disagreement with the action, asserting that freedom of expression should extend to the content in question.

(Photo: Photo by Elke Scholiers/Getty Images) SHAMBHU BORDER, INDIA - FEBRUARY 21: Farmers seek cover during a demonstration as they try to move towards Delhi on February 21, 2024, in the Shambhu border area, India. Indian farmers have reignited their protests, demanding guaranteed crop prices and a doubling of their income, following the government's failure to address key concerns from previous demonstrations.

India Farmer Protest Censorship

The order from the Indian government comes amidst the backdrop of prolonged farmer protests in the country, which have been ongoing for more than ten days. The affected accounts reportedly include those of farmer leaders and supporters involved in the protests.

However, X has not disclosed the specific details of the blocked accounts, citing legal restrictions. Despite this, the move has sparked criticism from various quarters, with concerns raised about transparency and accountability in content moderation.

This is not the first time such restrictions have been imposed during protests in India. Similar actions were taken during the yearlong farmer protests in 2020-21, with hundreds of social media accounts permanently suspended or blocked on government orders at the time.

India's Content Moderation Rules

The recurrence of such measures underscores the challenges foreign technology companies operating in India face under the current government, which has been vocal about its expectations regarding content moderation on online platforms.

The Indian government recently proposed amendments to the 2021 Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, which govern social media intermediaries (SMIs). The revised norms resulted in negative reactions from news organizations, who fear that the move is yet another attempt to 'muzzle the media.'

The incident has reignited debates about freedom of expression and the regulatory environment for technology firms in India. Critics argue that the government's actions represent a threat to democracy, while others express concerns about the lack of transparency and due process in content moderation practices.

Additionally, the move has drawn attention to the broader societal implications, including the erosion of civility in public discourse and the need for empathy toward the concerns of protesting farmers.

X's Next Move

X has indicated that it is considering legal options to challenge the government's orders, although it acknowledges the limitations imposed by legal restrictions on disclosing executive orders.

"Consistent with our position, a writ appeal challenging the Indian government's blocking orders remains pending. We have also provided the impacted users with notice of these actions in accordance with our policies," the platform said.

The platform emphasizes the importance of transparency in such matters, highlighting the need for accountability and fairness in the process of content moderation.

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(Photo: Tech Times Writer John Lopez)