Will remove posts when proper reporting process is followed, says Twitter

The social media platform had taken down dozens of tweets sharing the documentary on Narendra Modi after receiving orders from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Twitter had taken down dozens of tweets sharing the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question, which examines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. File | Photo Credit: AP

Social media platform Twitter’s Vice-President, Product – Trust and Safety, Ella Irwin said in a series of posts that Twitter would remove posts when a “proper reporting process” is followed. In an apparent reference to the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question, Ms. Irwin said Twitter “had to suspend accounts, remove documentaries, videos, tweets and photos recently” when such processes were followed.

The social media platform had taken down dozens of tweets sharing the documentary, which examines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, as well as the situation of the minority community in India after 2019, after receiving takedown orders from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

“People often disagree with our actions and don’t have full context, but we still have to take action,” Ms. Irwin said. “These issues are complex and often resolved in court. We don’t determine who in a legal / criminal case is ultimately right or wrong but we will continue to ensure we protect users, comply with local laws and remove content when required.”

The social media platform has been fighting a case in the Karnataka High Court on orders by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to restrict visibility for accounts belonging to activists and journalists, among others. In the last hearing in the case on January 9, the court criticised the Union government for repeatedly asking for adjournments in the case.