India’s top court on Friday sought the government and Twitter’s response to a petition seeking a mechanism to check fake news, hate messages and what officials consider seditious and incendiary content on social media platforms.
February 12, 2021 India’s top court on Friday sought the government and Twitter’s response to a petition seeking a mechanism to check fake news, hate messages and what officials consider seditious and incendiary content on social media platforms. The case highlights a standoff between the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and free speech advocates who criticize the ruling party for trying to silence opponents. The government recently asked Twitter to block hundreds of accounts and posts that it says have been spreading misinformation and provocative content linked to farmers who have been protesting agricultural laws since November on the outskirts of New Delhi. Ashwini Kumar Dubey, attorney for petitioner Vinit Goenka, told the court that there were hundreds of fake Twitter handles and Facebook accounts in the name of eminent people and dignitaries that were being used to tarnish the image of opponents and the Indian government.
