In a recent interview, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey revealed that the social media platform faced threats of shutdown in India, Nigeria, and Turkey unless it complied with orders to restrict accounts. Dorsey specifically mentioned India’s desire to limit the use of Twitter by journalists and protesters. However, India’s federal deputy minister for information technology, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, dismissed Dorsey’s claims as “outright lies.” Chandrashekhar stated that Twitter had repeatedly violated Indian law and only began complying with regulations in June 2022.
Dorsey, who stepped down as Twitter CEO in 2021, also highlighted the pressure faced by the platform in other countries. He mentioned that the Indian government threatened to shut down Twitter and even raided the homes of its employees. Similar pressure was experienced in Turkey, where Twitter had to battle legal challenges but was constantly under the threat of shutdown. Nigeria also suspended Twitter in 2021, citing the removal of a post from the then-President Muhammadu Buhari. Twitter lifted the ban in 2022 after agreeing to open a local office and other agreements with authorities.
It is worth noting that advocacy groups have expressed concerns about human rights situations in India, Turkey, and Nigeria. The governments of these countries have denied engaging in online censorship, claiming to focus only on restricting misinformation and posts that threaten peace and security.
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