The World Briefly

July 04, 2023

Of Freedom and Treachery

India

Listen to Today's Edition

An Indian court dismissed a lawsuit by Twitter challenging the government’s censorship orders, a ruling that underscores a victory for authorities as they seek to bring the social media giant and other foreign tech firms to heel, the Washington Post reported.

The case centered over a long-running dispute between Twitter and Indian officials that began in 2021 when millions of farmers were protesting against the government’s plan to cut subsidies and overhaul the agricultural market.

At the time, the Indian government ordered the social media platform to take down thousands of tweets sent from groups supporting farmers. Between February 2021 and February 2022, authorities demanded the removal of more than 1,400 accounts, saying they undermined India’s “sovereignty and integrity.”

Last July, Twitter filed a lawsuit against the government, claiming that Indian authorities were going beyond protecting national security. The US-based firm alleged that officials were “arbitrarily” seeking to silence journalists, activists, and politicians critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

But the court rejected Twitter’s allegations and sided with the government, concluding that “many of (the tweets) have outrageous content; many are treacherous & anti-national.”

It also ordered the platform to pay roughly $60,000 as punishment.

Indian officials welcomed the ruling, but Internet and free speech advocates warned that the case denies Twitter users any recourse to challenging government censorship in India.

This story originally appeared in the July 04, 2023 newsletter, Gassed.