X, led by Elon Musk, complies with India’s orders to suspend accounts linked to farmers’ protests but expresses disagreement. The social media company, formerly Twitter, announces its adherence to executive orders from the Indian government while emphasizing its commitment to freedom of speech. Despite withholding specific accounts and posts in India as per the orders, X asserts its disagreement with the actions taken.
In a statement through its Global Government Affairs account, X explains, “The Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties, including significant fines and imprisonment.” The company maintains that it will comply with the orders by withholding content in India but strongly disagrees with the directives, advocating for the extension of freedom of expression to the affected posts.
Highlighting its support for freedom of speech, the Global Government Affairs account mentions an ongoing writ appeal challenging the Indian government’s blocking orders. The company assures that it has notified impacted users in accordance with its policies. Additionally, X expresses the need for transparency, emphasizing the importance of making executive orders public to prevent a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making.
Read also: Nvidia’s Wall Street Challenge: Post ‘Parabolic’stock Rally Test
The blog post delves into the background of the orders, explaining that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) finalized the suspension of 177 accounts linked to the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by farmers around the national capital. MeitY issued emergency orders on February 14, following the march’s commencement, instructing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and Snap to block these accounts to maintain public order. The orders, aimed at ensuring law and order until February 19, were reported to be on the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
