Dorsey’s comments again focus on shrinking space to protect free speech under Modi government
Posted Date – 12:45 AM, Fri – 16 June 23
Dorsey’s comments again focus on shrinking space to protect free speech under Modi government
The NDA government has a pathetic record of upholding the freedom not only of media organisations, but of all other independent institutions. India’s image as an open, pluralistic society and a thriving democracy has taken a serious blow lately. The latest revelations of Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey’s pressure tactics against the central government come as no surprise. In an interview with the media, Dorsey spoke of threatening to shut down the microblogging site if it did not comply with an order to limit accounts critical of the government’s handling of the farmers’ protests. He also went on to reveal that the government had threatened to search employees’ homes across the country if Twitter failed to remove certain accounts. The tech giant has a rocky relationship with the BJP-led government. Dorsey’s comments have once again drawn attention to the struggles facing social media companies under Modi’s government and the shrinking space for free speech protections. There have been instances of excessive scrutiny of any criticism. In 2021, farmers’ agitation over a now-repealed farm law is a flashpoint between the government and Twitter, which is in India its third-biggest market after the US and Japan. By going after the social media company using brutal coercion, the government has exposed accusations of its obsession with silencing dissent. Such a strong approach will only reinforce the impression that India is heading towards authoritarianism like China.
In the past, Twitter initially refused to remove certain tweets about farmers’ protests that were flagged by IT for allegedly “spreading misinformation,” but has since downgraded and removed some tweets flagged by the government. As tens of thousands of farmers set up camps around Delhi, the government tried to control the narrative surrounding farmers’ protests. The protests have embarrassed the government, which has left little room for dissent. Hundreds of Twitter accounts mentioning the protests, including those of prominent journalists and news websites, were deactivated at the request of the government, sparking outrage. However, it later turned into a spat after Twitter reinstated most of the accounts for “inadequate reasons” and refused to remove another 1,100 for allegedly spreading misinformation. It must be noted that since the NDA came to power in 2014, India’s ranking in the Global Press Freedom Index has been steadily declining, falling from 140th to 161st out of 180 countries. Twitter, on the other hand, also owes answers to some of its opaque policies and actions that raise questions about its avowed neutrality. Dorsey himself is no stranger to controversy, and has faced accusations of being part of a leftist ecosystem with contemptuous disregard for local laws.
