As Modi Govt Cranks Up The Pressure Over Non-compliance, Twitter Blocks Almost 97 Per Cent Of Required Accounts

After a caution from Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on the need for Twitter to comply with Indian rules, the social media giant is complying with the Centre's directive on blocking nearly 1,500 accounts, reports Times Now.

Among the two suspension lists shared by the Government of India, Twitter has reportedly blocked almost 97 per cent of the accounts mentioned in them.

While the government had reported a total of 1,435 handles for blocking with Twitter. By Thursday (11 February), Twitter had blocked 1,398 of these accounts.

The government on Wednesday (10 February) expressed displeasure over Twitter’s delayed compliance on its order to remove “provocative” tweets amid the ongoing farmers’ protests.

IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney expressed Centre’s displeasure to Twitter’s management about the manner in which Twitter has unwillingly, grudgingly and with great delay complied with the substantial parts of the order.

Also the Centre on Thursday (11 February) categorically cautioned social media platforms against spreading fake news or anything inciting violence.

“We respect social media a lot, it has empowered common people. Social media has a big role in the Digital India programme. However, if social media are misused to spread fake news and violence, then action will be taken on the misuse of social media in India whether Twitter or else,” he Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad told in the Rajya Sabha.