Thursday, May 27, 2021

Sorry twitter, You are not above a democratically elected govt!


Social Media platforms can't dictate terms to democratically elected Governments. They must comply to law of land and they must stop interfering in the domestic politics, taking sides on behalf of political parties. If they are allowed their way, they would suspend twitter account of PM Narendra Modi just before 2024 general elections as they did with Donald Trump during recently concluded elections in U.S..



Russia's PM Putin was correct that U.S. Social Media giants like Twitter, Facebook etc. are trying to compete with elected governments. While electoral process was underway in U.S., twitter suspended account of Donald Trump, why because "leftist" leaning Twitter wanted rightist Donald Trump to lose elections.


 French President Macron felt so much angry with twitter suspending account of  democratically elected U.S. president Trump and "suddenly cutting his mic(microphone)" in the last phase of electoral process  that he remarked

"I don’t want to live in a democracy where the key decisions… is decided by a private player, a private social network. I want it to be decided by a law voted by your representative, or by regulation, governance, democratically discussed and approved by democratic leaders.”German Chancellor Angela Merkel found banning of account of Trump  altogether was a step too far. She said that governments, not private companies, should decide on any limitations to freedom of speech.





What Twitter had done with Donald Trump earlier, given the choice they may repeat the same with Indian PM Narendra Modi too just before 2024 general elections . Twitter is trying to directly indulge in  politics of India by taking sides and give unfair advantage to political parties opposed to PM Modi because leftist leaning Twitter is opposed to nationalist and rightist Narendra Modi. Leftist leaning twitter every now and then keeps suspending twitter accounts of nationalists/rightists on slightest pretext but at the same time remaining blind to hate speeches of Leftists/Islamists. While they were too quick to suspend account of hindutva oriented Kangna Ranaut, however they continue to feel loathsome to respond to demand for suspending accounts of likes of Sharjeel Usmani, Amanatullah khan etc despite their hate tweets against a particular religion. Regarding #toolkit they quickly jump to conclusion that #toolkit allegations of Sambit Patra is "media manipulated". What is evidence available with Twitter to come to conclusion that #toolkit allegations of Sambit Patra and other five BJP Leaders are media manipulated?. And if they have evidence available, let them share the same with Delhi Police probing the allegations.

Govt of India, albeit, quite late, but has finally swung into action against arbitrary conduct of Twitter. And GOI is quite right, when it demands twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms complying with law of land otherwise lose the privilege of "intermediary" and face endless litigations in Indian Courts.

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