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The article talks about the Indian government requesting Twitter to ban accounts in the context of Kashmir: The report said most of the blocked content was cri

The article talks about the Indian government requesting Twitter to ban accounts in the context of Kashmir: The report said most of the blocked content was critical of the government's recent move to strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status, and were made after requests by the government itself. I believe that they've missed an important detail here. There was a massive misinformation campaign against India on Twitter in the aftermath of abrogating article 370. Many of these tweets originated from Pakistani handles[1][2]. They have even started impersonating top Indian military officials on Twitter[3]. And it seems that they are not just stopping with Kashmir. The propaganda campaign even covers Rafale and Tamil Nadu[4][5]. I do not condone banning accounts that are critical of the Government. However, propaganda over sensitive topics should be stopped by all means. 1. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/crpf-j-k-police-kashmir-1580061-2019-08-12 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/crpf-j-k-police-kashmi... 2. https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2019/a-third-of-misleading-posts-about-kashmir-come-from-pakistan-say-indian-fact-checkers/ https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2019/a-third-of-mislea... 3. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-s-fake-news-plot-busted-twitter-suspends-50-bogus-handles-for-top-army-officials-1600194-2019-09-17 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-s-fake-news-p... 4. https://www.news18.com/news/india/as-rafale-adds-to-firepower-on-iaf-day-pak-uses-bot-armies-to-make-runawayforce_iaf-trend-on-indian-twitter-2338295.html https://www.news18.com/news/india/as-rafale-adds-to-firepowe... 5. https://qz.com/india/1727752/pakistan-bots-helped-gobackmodi-during-xi-jinpings-india-visit/ https://qz.com/india/1727752/pakistan-bots-helped-gobackmodi...

rgrs 7y ago
Exactly! If Twitter banned Russian influencers of US elections, BBC wont be reporting it. BBC's articles are shallow and not "investigative" as it used to be.
- seanhunter 7y ago
  This example would seem to directly contradict your statement https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41766991 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41766991 "Twitter bans RT and Sputnik ads amid election interference fears"
  - rgrs 7y ago
    Your example doesn't picture Twitter in a negative way, what twitter did was the right thing. Blocking accounts owned by another nation trying to influence people in India.
- 9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
  Except that they did actually report it... https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45266713 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45266713 And I'm not sure why you think they wouldn't, because they're British, not American or Russian.
  - rgrs 7y ago
    Your example doesn't picture Twitter in a negative way, what twitter did was the right thing. Blocking accounts owned by another nation trying to influence people in India.
saagarjha 7y ago
> However, propaganda over sensitive topics should be stopped by all means. Like disconnecting the internet entirely?
- sbmthakur 7y ago
  Yes, if necessary. Internet is generally blocked in violence pronce regions. And an Internet blackout is any day better than violence.
  - newen 7y ago
    True. People blame Whatsapp and Facebook for causing violence but then, when governments can't stop calls for violence being transmitted through these services, can't stop these services, they turn around and blame the governments for shutting down the internet.
_emacsomancer_ 7y ago
So it's ok to be critical of the Government as long as the Government doesn't consider the topic to be sensitive? I.e. as long as the topic is inconsequential you mean?
- sbmthakur 7y ago
  Let me clarify. It's always okay to be critical of the Government as long as one doesn't engage in spreading fake propaganda and misinformation. The links in my comment point towards a scenario where there was an attempt towards doing that.
  - _emacsomancer_ 7y ago
    Yes, in theory that's a reasonable position. The rub is: who decides that it's fake propaganda and misinformation? The Government?
    - sbmthakur 7y ago
      Nobody decides it. Truth is truth. Fake is fake.

rgrs 7y ago

Exactly! If Twitter banned Russian influencers of US elections, BBC wont be reporting it. BBC's articles are shallow and not "investigative" as it used to be.

seanhunter 7y ago
This example would seem to directly contradict your statement https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41766991 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41766991 "Twitter bans RT and Sputnik ads amid election interference fears"
- rgrs 7y ago
  Your example doesn't picture Twitter in a negative way, what twitter did was the right thing. Blocking accounts owned by another nation trying to influence people in India.
9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
Except that they did actually report it... https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45266713 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45266713 And I'm not sure why you think they wouldn't, because they're British, not American or Russian.
- rgrs 7y ago
  Your example doesn't picture Twitter in a negative way, what twitter did was the right thing. Blocking accounts owned by another nation trying to influence people in India.

saagarjha 7y ago

> However, propaganda over sensitive topics should be stopped by all means. Like disconnecting the internet entirely?

sbmthakur 7y ago
Yes, if necessary. Internet is generally blocked in violence pronce regions. And an Internet blackout is any day better than violence.
- newen 7y ago
  True. People blame Whatsapp and Facebook for causing violence but then, when governments can't stop calls for violence being transmitted through these services, can't stop these services, they turn around and blame the governments for shutting down the internet.

_emacsomancer_ 7y ago

So it's ok to be critical of the Government as long as the Government doesn't consider the topic to be sensitive? I.e. as long as the topic is inconsequential you mean?

sbmthakur 7y ago
Let me clarify. It's always okay to be critical of the Government as long as one doesn't engage in spreading fake propaganda and misinformation. The links in my comment point towards a scenario where there was an attempt towards doing that.
- _emacsomancer_ 7y ago
  Yes, in theory that's a reasonable position. The rub is: who decides that it's fake propaganda and misinformation? The Government?
  - sbmthakur 7y ago
    Nobody decides it. Truth is truth. Fake is fake.