India orders X to shut down more than 8,000 profiles
Breaking: India Cracks Down on X, Citing Government-Imposed 'Censorship'
☁️ Need-to-know: It's all about controlling the flow of information amidst heightened tensions with Pakistan.
Lowdown: India's recent order to X, formerly Twitter, to block over 8,000 accounts is just the latest twist in a broader effort by the Indian government to exert control over what its citizens see and share online.
India's latest move targets accounts belonging to Pakistani politicians, celebrities, media organizations, international news organizations, and prominent users. Some worry that this is yet another attempt to stifle free speech and misinformation.
The order comes a day after Meta banned a significant Muslim news page on Instagram in India at New Delhi's request. X itself stated that it disagrees with the demands, but it has begun the process to withhold the specified accounts within India due to threats of significant fines and imprisonment for non-compliance.
"Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech," according to X's statement.
India-Pakistan Escalations: The account-blocking order stems from growing tensions and deadly confrontations between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Fierce exchanges of artillery between India and Pakistan have left more than 50 people dead. The bloodshed occurred just two weeks after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing a deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled Kashmir region.
However, tensions aren't only limited to India and Pakistan. The Indian government has enacted similar restrictions on Pakistani media and personalities within India, sparking international accusations of censorship.
While X can't publicly disclose the exact executive orders from the Indian government due to legal constraints, it does encourage the impacted users to seek "appropriate relief from the courts."
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- The latest move by India to block over 8,000 accounts on X, a Twitter-like platform, has sparked concerns about censorship, as it targets accounts belonging to Pakistani politicians, media organizations, international news organizations, and other prominent users.
- This censorship issue stems from the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, with recent deadly confrontations between the two countries, escalating the war-and-conflicts in the region.
- In the general news, political organizations in Delhi have imposed sweeping restrictions on these Pakistani media and personalities, leading to international accusations of censorship.
- criminal activity and justice are also affected, as many of the blocked accounts are associated with prominent users who share news and opinions that might be considered sensitive or critical in the current climate.
- Following X's disagreement with the demands came the announcement that they would begin the process to withhold the specified accounts within India due to threats of significant fines and imprisonment for non-compliance.
