In a recent development, social media platform X has expressed disagreement with the Indian government’s decision to block accounts and posts associated with the ongoing farmers’ protests. The Ministry of Electronics and IT, acting on the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs, has ordered the temporary blocking of 177 accounts linked to the protests.
X, in a statement on Thursday, asserted its commitment to freedom of expression and announced its compliance with the government’s orders, limiting the withholding of accounts and posts to within India. However, the platform voiced its disagreement with the government’s actions, emphasizing the importance of extending freedom of expression to the affected posts.
The social media giant also revealed that a writ appeal challenging the blocking orders is currently pending. It called for greater transparency by urging the government to make the executive orders public. “Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to publish the executive orders, but we believe that making them public is essential for transparency. This lack of disclosure can lead to a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making,” stated X in its post.
Notably, X has notified the impacted users of the government’s actions, adhering to the platform’s policies and practices.
The controversy arises against the backdrop of nationwide farmers’ protests, where farmers are advocating for their demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver. The government’s move to block social media content related to the protests has ignited a debate on freedom of expression and access to information.
In a related development, farmer leaders temporarily halted their march to the national capital following clashes at one of the protest sites, resulting in the death of a protester and injuries to about 12 police personnel. The situation remains tense as stakeholders navigate the complexities of the ongoing farmers’ protests.
