India Covid: Anger as Twitter ordered to remove critical virus posts

Thousands across India are outraged after the government ordered social media platform Twitter to remove posts critical of its handling of the virus.

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed it had blocked some material from being viewed in India.

The country faces a massive surge in cases, with many of its hospitals facing an oxygen shortage.

One Twitter user accused the government of “finding it easier to take down tweets than ensure oxygen supplies”.

India recorded 352,991 new infections on Monday and 2,812 deaths – the highest single-day spike so far.

The government made an emergency order to censor the tweets, Twitter revealed on Lumen, a database that keeps track of global government orders around online content.

“If it is determined to be illegal in a particular jurisdiction, but not in violation of the Twitter Rules, we may withhold access to the content in India only,” the platform said.

An Indian official said the material in question was misleading or could spark panic.

“We cannot allow fake news that harms the country,” BJP national spokesperson Gopal Agarwal told the BBC.

The crisis was being worsened by fake news, he explained, pointing out that social media content had to be in line with the rule of law.

But on social media, many criticised the government for focusing on “censorship” while the country was in the midst of a “humanitarian disaster”.

The whole India is petrified, citizens are searching for emergency help, coordinating life support & trying to keep the government accountable, but the GOI, instead of saving lives, is bringing social media censorship. Condemnable! https://t.co/DT43bWltHa

— Amal Chandra (@ens_socialis) April 25, 2021

Twitter has been overrun by reports of people falling sick, needing oxygen and beds. It has in the past been criticised for bowing to pressure from the Indian government.

In February, the platform blocked more than 500 accounts linked to ongoing farmer protests against agricultural reforms after the government issued a legal notice. If Twitter had not complied, it could have meant jail time for Twitter’s employees in India.

Earlier this year, the Indian government believed it had beaten the virus. New cases had fallen to 11,000 by mid-February, vaccines were being exported and in March the health minister said India was “in the endgame” of the pandemic.

Mr Modi has faced increased criticism for lifting restrictions and resuming large gatherings.

On Sunday, the prime minister said the second wave was a storm that had “shaken the nation” but that a “positive approach” was key to fighting the pandemic.