New Delhi, Feb 22 (EFE).- Social media platform X said Thursday that an “executive order” had been issued by the Indian government requiring the platform “to act on specific accounts and posts,” amid tense farmer protests in the country.
“The Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment,” the platform said, without revealing the reason given by the Indian authorities for the order.
“We disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts,” the micro-blogging platform, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said.
The Indian government has yet to comment on the order.
X said it would comply with the government’s order but would withhold the accounts and posts only in India.
“Consistent with our position, a writ appeal challenging the Indian government’s blocking orders remains pending,” X said on its Global Government Affairs account.
The order exacerbates the tension between X, formerly Twitter, and the Indian government, which has sought greater control over the contents published on the platform, especially those related to social unrest and political dissent.
X urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to publish the order for better transparency.
“This lack of disclosure can lead to a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making,” it said.
Although X does not specify the accounts withheld, the statement comes a week after the Information Ministry asked several social networks to suspend hundreds of accounts.
All the accounts were related to the ongoing protests by farmers, who are marching to Delhi seeking better crop prices, an anonymous source told local news agency PTI.
The protest, just weeks ahead of general elections scheduled to be held in the country this summer, poses a challenge to Modi, who is seeking a third consecutive term. EFE
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