Twitter and YouTube censored BBC documentary critical of Indian PM Modi, complying with Indian government’s requests; Musk’s free speech claims undermined.
Recently, Twitter and YouTube have come under fire for censoring a BBC documentary which was critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian government called for the Big Tech companies to take action against the documentary which explored Modi’s role in a 2002 massacre in the Indian state of Gujarat. Government officials deemed the documentary “propaganda” and Twitter and YouTube complied with the government’s requests to block links to the film. This act of censorship has raised questions about the commitment of Twitter, now led by Elon Musk, to protect free speech in the face of authoritarian demands from foreign governments.
Members of the opposition All India Trinamool Congress party defiantly posted links to the documentary online, only for their posts to be taken down. Twitter even blocked Indian audiences from seeing two posts by actor John Cusack linking to the documentary. The Gujarat riots occurred in 2002, when Modi was the chief minister of the state. A group of militants aligned with the Hindu nationalist movement, which encompasses Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, launched a violent campaign against local Muslims. Modi has been accused of personally encouraging the violence.
The Indian government has sent hundreds of requests to different social media platforms, especially YouTube and Twitter, to take down the posts that share snippets or links to the documentary, and the companies have complied with their demands. However, members of the opposition have pushed back against censorship of the BBC documentary. Indian journalist Raqib Hameed Naik said that Modi “sees the documentary as a threat to his image internationally and has launched an unprecedented crackdown in India.”
Elon Musk’s self-identification as a “free-speech absolutist” has been a primary talking point for the billionaire as he has sought to explain why he took ownership of the platform last year. However, it appears that he is failing to stand up to the authoritarian demands of foreign governments. Google, which owns YouTube, has also come under intense pressure from the Indian government, with the company censoring nearly 9 percent of items submitted by the Indian government in the first half of 2022.
The Indian government’s pressure on Twitter appears to be gaining traction, with some speculating that Musk’s other business entanglements in India may be a factor. Musk has said he defers to local laws on speech issues and that if citizens want something banned, then a law should be passed to do so. However, it is clear that this censorship sets a worrying tone for Twitter, especially in light of its new management. It is also a stark reminder of the power of authoritarian governments to suppress free speech, even on platforms dedicated to its protection.
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