Social media firms wanting to operate in&nbsp;Nigeria&nbsp;must register a local entity and be licensed, the country's information minister said on Wednesday, the government's latest move since it banned Twitter last week.

"We are insisting that for you to operate in&nbsp;Nigeria&nbsp;you must first be a&nbsp;Nigerian company and be licensed by the broadcasting commission," said Lai Mohammed,&nbsp;Nigeria's information minister, of social media companies.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/twitter-removes-and-then-restores-blue-tick-on-vice-prez-naidus-personal-account-389593">Twitter removes and then restores blue tick on Vice Prez Naidu's personal account</a>

The new regulations will include conditions for continued operation, Mohammed said, without elaborating. The move comes amidst what critics say is a broader crackdown on freedom of expression in Africa's most populous country that has drawn comparisons to&nbsp;Nigeria's decades of military rule in the 20th century.

Nigeria's government last week said it had suspended Twitter's activities, two days after the platform removed a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish secessionists.&nbsp;Nigerian telecoms firms have since blocked access to Twitter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unpatriotic-nigeria-government-orders-media-houses-to-stop-using-twitter-389980">'Unpatriotic': Nigeria government orders media houses to stop using Twitter</a>

Buhari is a former military ruler.

Mohammed did not give a deadline for registration and licensing, but said some firms were given notice, without naming the affected companies. He did not respond to calls and a message seeking details.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/twitter-indefinitely-shutdown-in-nigeria-389575/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Twitter has consistently made its platform available to those who are threatening&nbsp;Nigeria’s corporate existence," said Mohammed, naming a separatist leader and anti-police brutality protesters.

The minister said Facebook and its subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp had not been suspended but did not say whether they would need to register and get a licence.

Social media firms wanting to operate in Nigeria must register a local entity and be licensed, the country's information minister said on Wednesday, the government's latest move since it banned Twitter last week.

Social media firms wanting to operate in Nigeria must register a local entity and be licensed, the country's information minister said on Wednesday, the government's latest move since it banned Twitter last week. "We are insisting that for you to operate in Nigeria you must first be a Nigerian company and be licensed by the broadcasting commission," said Lai Mohammed, Nigeria's information minister, of social media companies. Also read | Twitter removes and then restores blue tick on Vice Prez Naidu's personal account The new regulations will include conditions for continued operation, Mohammed said, without elaborating. The move comes amidst what critics say is a broader crackdown on freedom of expression in Africa's most populous country that has drawn comparisons to Nigeria's decades of military rule in the 20th century. Nigeria's government last week said it had suspended Twitter's activities, two days after the platform removed a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish secessionists. Nigerian telecoms firms have since blocked access to Twitter. Also read | 'Unpatriotic': Nigeria government orders media houses to stop using Twitter Buhari is a former military ruler. Mohammed did not give a deadline for registration and licensing, but said some firms were given notice, without naming the affected companies. He did not respond to calls and a message seeking details. "Twitter has consistently made its platform available to those who are threatening Nigeria’s corporate existence," said Mohammed, naming a separatist leader and anti-police brutality protesters. The minister said Facebook and its subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp had not been suspended but did not say whether they would need to register and get a licence.

Nigeria demands social media firms get local licence

Argentine&nbsp;President&nbsp;Alberto Fernandez triggered a Twitter storm and a regional race debate on Wednesday with misjudged comments to visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that sought to play up the South American country's ties with Europe.

"The Mexicans came&nbsp;from&nbsp;the Indians, the&nbsp;Brazilians&nbsp;came&nbsp;from&nbsp;the jungle, but we&nbsp;Argentines came&nbsp;from&nbsp;the ships. And they were ships that came&nbsp;from&nbsp;Europe," Fernandez said, referring to the country's many European migrants. He later apologized for the comments and said his country's diversity was something to be proud of.

Fernandez seems to have taken the phrase&nbsp;from&nbsp;a song by local musician Lito Nebbia, of whom the&nbsp;President&nbsp;has declared himself an admirer on more than one occasion.

The comments sparked a viral response on social media, with many criticizing Fernandez for racial insensitivity.

"I did not mean to offend anyone, in any case, whoever has felt offended or invisible, I give my apologies," Fernandez said on Twitter.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-argentina-no-longer-hosting-copa-america-conmebol-388557">Also Read |&nbsp;Argentina no longer hosting Copa America: CONMEBOL</a>

Brazilian media ran Fernandez's statements on Wednesday and many on social media joked that right-wing&nbsp;President&nbsp;Jair Bolsonaro would enjoy getting back at the left-wing&nbsp;Argentine&nbsp;leader.

Bolsonaro obliged by tweeting a photograph of himself wearing a native headdress, smiling among a group of indigenous people. The only text in the tweet was the word "JUNGLE" in capital letters, flanked by a Brazilian flag emoji.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman and the Brazilian&nbsp;president's son, slammed the comments as "racist" and shot a retort back at Argentina over its troubled economy, in recession since 2018.

"I say the ship that is sinking is that of Argentina," he posted on Twitter.

Netizens on YouTube posted replies under a video of the speech, expressing anger or unease.

"Excuse me, Mexican and Brazilian friends, on behalf of all&nbsp;Argentines we feel a lot of embarrassment. You know how much we love you, and your countries and customs," said one user under the name Barbara Bongiovanni.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez triggered a Twitter storm and a regional race debate on Wednesday with misjudged comments to visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that sought to play up the South American country's ties with Europe.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez triggered a Twitter storm and a regional race debate on Wednesday with misjudged comments to visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that sought to play up the South American country's ties with Europe. "The Mexicans came from the Indians, the Brazilians came from the jungle, but we Argentines came from the ships. And they were ships that came from Europe," Fernandez said, referring to the country's many European migrants. He later apologized for the comments and said his country's diversity was something to be proud of. Fernandez seems to have taken the phrase from a song by local musician Lito Nebbia, of whom the President has declared himself an admirer on more than one occasion. The comments sparked a viral response on social media, with many criticizing Fernandez for racial insensitivity. "I did not mean to offend anyone, in any case, whoever has felt offended or invisible, I give my apologies," Fernandez said on Twitter. Also Read | Argentina no longer hosting Copa America: CONMEBOL Brazilian media ran Fernandez's statements on Wednesday and many on social media joked that right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro would enjoy getting back at the left-wing Argentine leader. Bolsonaro obliged by tweeting a photograph of himself wearing a native headdress, smiling among a group of indigenous people. The only text in the tweet was the word "JUNGLE" in capital letters, flanked by a Brazilian flag emoji. Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman and the Brazilian president's son, slammed the comments as "racist" and shot a retort back at Argentina over its troubled economy, in recession since 2018. "I say the ship that is sinking is that of Argentina," he posted on Twitter. Netizens on YouTube posted replies under a video of the speech, expressing anger or unease. "Excuse me, Mexican and Brazilian friends, on behalf of all Argentines we feel a lot of embarrassment. You know how much we love you, and your countries and customs," said one user under the name Barbara Bongiovanni.

Argentine president says Brazilians 'came from the jungle', sparking uproar

Once a lover of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/twitter?page=1">Twitter</a>, the former US President, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, is not leaving any stone unturned to voice his newfound hatred for the platform now.

Almost a week after Nigeria banned the social media platform in the country, Trump has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unpatriotic-nigeria-government-orders-media-houses-to-stop-using-twitter-389980" hreflang="en">'Unpatriotic': Nigeria government orders media houses to stop using Twitter</a>

"Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their president," Trump said.

Twitter was banned 'indefinitely' a few days after the platform suspended President Muhammadu Buhari’s account following an&nbsp;'abusive' civil war tweet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigeria-bans-twitter-indefinitely-after-muhammadu-buharis-account-suspension-389533" hreflang="en">Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension</a>

While all other world leaders chose to remain quiet on the matter, Trump came in support of the Nigerian President.

"Who are they to dictate good and evil, if they themselves are evil," the former reality TV star said in a statement.

In addition to lending support to Nigeria, Trump urged other countries to ban Twitter and Facebook too for not allowing "free and open speech".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-president-donald-trump-attacks-fauci-hints-at-re-run-in-2024-election-390165" hreflang="en">'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election</a>

His hatred for the platforms is a result of him being banned from Twitter and Facebook due to his role in the US Capitol riots.

This has come a few days after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/insult-to-75-million-voters-donald-trump-banned-for-two-years-from-facebook-389539">Facebook extended his ban to at least two years</a>. The former social media enthusiast also claimed that he wanted to ban the social media platform, Facebook, during his time at the White House. However, he claims, the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, “kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was”.

Once a lover of Twitter, the former US President, Donald Trump, is not leaving any stone unturned to voice his newfound hatred for the platform now. Almost a week after Nigeria banned the social media platform in the country, Trump has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision.

Once a lover of Twitter, the former US President, Donald Trump, is not leaving any stone unturned to voice his newfound hatred for the platform now. Almost a week after Nigeria banned the social media platform in the country, Trump has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision. Also read | 'Unpatriotic': Nigeria government orders media houses to stop using Twitter "Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their president," Trump said. Twitter was banned 'indefinitely' a few days after the platform suspended President Muhammadu Buhari’s account following an 'abusive' civil war tweet. Also read | Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension While all other world leaders chose to remain quiet on the matter, Trump came in support of the Nigerian President. "Who are they to dictate good and evil, if they themselves are evil," the former reality TV star said in a statement. In addition to lending support to Nigeria, Trump urged other countries to ban Twitter and Facebook too for not allowing "free and open speech". Also read | 'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election His hatred for the platforms is a result of him being banned from Twitter and Facebook due to his role in the US Capitol riots. This has come a few days after Facebook extended his ban to at least two years. The former social media enthusiast also claimed that he wanted to ban the social media platform, Facebook, during his time at the White House. However, he claims, the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, “kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was”.

'Everyone should ban them': Trump hails Nigeria's Twitter ban

Social media giant Twitter has assured Indian government that it is making every effort to comply with the new guidelines. Watch the report to know more.

Twitter says it is making efforts to comply with rules in India

Websites of several international organisations went down for nearly an hour as pages started showing ‘error 503’.

The internet outage affected several international media houses such as The Guardian&nbsp;newspaper,&nbsp;Financial Times&nbsp;of London, The New York Times and&nbsp;CNN international and also attacked the UK government’s website gov.uk and White House’s website.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-global-media-websites-go-down-white-house-uk-govt-sites-go-dark-too-390160">Several global media websites go down; White House, UK govt sites go dark too</a>

Retail shop websites such as Amazon and Target were also hit by the global internet outage.

The outage was reportedly a result of&nbsp;cloud&nbsp;server problem, which was quickly identified and fixed, letting websites function again.

While the companies panicked over this outage, internet users flocked to Twitter to scoop some fun out of this 'catastrophe'.

Here are some of the best picks:

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Internet is going crazy today, GitHub &amp; stackoverflow are down. All developers, I see you crying 😂😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GithubDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GithubDown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stackoverflowdown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stackoverflowdown</a>
— Yazeed (@iz44_0) <a href="https://twitter.com/iz44_0/status/1402269075590504449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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THE INTERNET IS BROKEEEENNNN! ITS THE APOCALYPSE! <a href="https://t.co/IlOQMgFLxQ">pic.twitter.com/IlOQMgFLxQ</a>
— ~Cake~ (@CCakeroll) <a href="https://twitter.com/CCakeroll/status/1402209123807154178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Not surprise at all that there was an internet shutdown. 
 
Didn’t happen during the pandemic, but as soon as Covid starts to go away, WHAM! Internet shut down. 
 
And UFO’s! 
 
😂😂😂
— Alletto @PWPNation (@JayAlletto_Wins) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayAlletto_Wins/status/1402269069378822163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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When you cause half of the internet to go down <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/awkward?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#awkward</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fastly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fastly</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fastlydown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fastlydown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/velezglobal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#velezglobal</a> <a href="https://t.co/M1MAQZJCwG">pic.twitter.com/M1MAQZJCwG</a>
— Velez Managed Services (@VelezGlobal) <a href="https://twitter.com/VelezGlobal/status/1402269538151014407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Lot of the net just gone down - Le Monde, Times, Atlantic, New Yorker, Independent, Guardian, HMRC. IT'S STARTED. JEFF BEZOS HAS TURNED THE INTERNET OFF BEFORE FLYING OFF TO SPACE. I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN.
— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/caitlinmoran/status/1402207716949606400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Regular internet users heading to Twitter while half the internet is down <a href="https://t.co/MGZoRYmRXl">pic.twitter.com/MGZoRYmRXl</a>
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1402204907256623105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Has Piers blamed Meghan yet? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternetDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternetDown</a>
— Otto English (@Otto_English) <a href="https://twitter.com/Otto_English/status/1402213486323814400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Websites of several international organisations went down for nearly an hour as pages started showing ‘error 503’. The internet outage affected several international media houses such as The Guardian newspaper, Financial Times of London, The New York Times and CNN international and also attacked the UK government’s website gov.

Websites of several international organisations went down for nearly an hour as pages started showing ‘error 503’. The internet outage affected several international media houses such as The Guardian newspaper, Financial Times of London, The New York Times and CNN international and also attacked the UK government’s website gov.uk and White House’s website. Also read | Several global media websites go down; White House, UK govt sites go dark too Retail shop websites such as Amazon and Target were also hit by the global internet outage. The outage was reportedly a result of cloud server problem, which was quickly identified and fixed, letting websites function again. While the companies panicked over this outage, internet users flocked to Twitter to scoop some fun out of this 'catastrophe'. Here are some of the best picks: Internet is going crazy today, GitHub & stackoverflow are down. All developers, I see you crying 😂😂#GithubDown #stackoverflowdown — Yazeed (@iz44_0) June 8, 2021 × THE INTERNET IS BROKEEEENNNN! ITS THE APOCALYPSE! pic.twitter.com/IlOQMgFLxQ — ~Cake~ (@CCakeroll) June 8, 2021 × Not surprise at all that there was an internet shutdown. Didn’t happen during the pandemic, but as soon as Covid starts to go away, WHAM! Internet shut down. And UFO’s! 😂😂😂 — Alletto @PWPNation (@JayAlletto_Wins) June 8, 2021 × When you cause half of the internet to go down #awkward #fastly #fastlydown #velezglobal pic.twitter.com/M1MAQZJCwG — Velez Managed Services (@VelezGlobal) June 8, 2021 × Lot of the net just gone down - Le Monde, Times, Atlantic, New Yorker, Independent, Guardian, HMRC. IT'S STARTED. JEFF BEZOS HAS TURNED THE INTERNET OFF BEFORE FLYING OFF TO SPACE. I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN. — Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) June 8, 2021 × Regular internet users heading to Twitter while half the internet is down pic.twitter.com/MGZoRYmRXl — James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 8, 2021 × Has Piers blamed Meghan yet? #InternetDown — Otto English (@Otto_English) June 8, 2021 ×

'Jeff Bezos, is that you?': Twitter reacts as #InternetDown trends

A few days after suspending the social media platform, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/twitter">Twitter</a>, ‘indefinitely’, the Nigerian government has ordered all TV and radio stations to immediately stop the usage of the platform.

Describing it as ‘unpatriotic’, the government directed all media houses to “suspend the patronage of Twitter immediately”, be it to collect news or to distribute it.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigeria-bans-twitter-indefinitely-after-muhammadu-buharis-account-suspension-389533">Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension</a>

"Broadcasting stations are hereby advised to de-install Twitter handles and desist from using Twitter as a source... of information gathering for news," National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)’s director Armstrong Idachaba wrote in a statement. "It would be unpatriotic for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the suspended Twitter as a source of its information."

This order has come a few days after the Nigerian government suspended Twitter from the country ‘indefinitely’ after the platform suspended President Muhammadu Buhari’s account following an&nbsp;'abusive' civil war tweet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-nigerian-presidents-account-for-12-hours-389291" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-nigerian-presidents-account-for-12-hours-389291&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi-3NPUt_7wAhVO7XMBHX23DMwQFjAEegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3kGz6nQpjjYMxwzQrz5kFW" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-nigerian-presidents-account-for-12-hours-389291" target="_blank">Twitter suspends&nbsp;Nigerian&nbsp;president's account for 12 hours</a>

The leader had tweeted in relation to the 1967-70 civil war saying, "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand".

Claiming it to be a strong violation of the "abusive behaviour" policy, Twitter suspended President’s account for 12 hours. However, the government decided to suspend the platform for an indefinite time and claimed Twitter was being misused for activities that were "capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence".

A few days after suspending the social media platform, Twitter, ‘indefinitely’, the Nigerian government has ordered all TV and radio stations to immediately stop the usage of the platform.

A few days after suspending the social media platform, Twitter, ‘indefinitely’, the Nigerian government has ordered all TV and radio stations to immediately stop the usage of the platform. Describing it as ‘unpatriotic’, the government directed all media houses to “suspend the patronage of Twitter immediately”, be it to collect news or to distribute it. Also read | Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension "Broadcasting stations are hereby advised to de-install Twitter handles and desist from using Twitter as a source... of information gathering for news," National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)’s director Armstrong Idachaba wrote in a statement. "It would be unpatriotic for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the suspended Twitter as a source of its information." This order has come a few days after the Nigerian government suspended Twitter from the country ‘indefinitely’ after the platform suspended President Muhammadu Buhari’s account following an 'abusive' civil war tweet. Also read | Twitter suspends Nigerian president's account for 12 hours The leader had tweeted in relation to the 1967-70 civil war saying, "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand". Claiming it to be a strong violation of the "abusive behaviour" policy, Twitter suspended President’s account for 12 hours. However, the government decided to suspend the platform for an indefinite time and claimed Twitter was being misused for activities that were "capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence".

'Unpatriotic': Nigeria government orders media houses to stop using Twitter

In an address to the faction of Likud party, the longest-serving Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu accused Facebook and Twitter of selective blocking. Netanyahu has slammed the social media giants for silence in criticism against the new coalition government.

Netanyahu accuses social media of selective blocking

A day after Nigerian Government suspended Twitter, telecom operators in the African nations say that they have restricted access to the social media platform. However the US and EU have voiced concerns over Nigeria's decision to indefinitely ban Twitter.

Twitter VS Nigerian Govt: European Union and United States condemn Nigeria's Twitter ban

European Union and the United States expressed concern over indefinite Twitter ban in Nigeria. The move to ban Twitter has also been denounced by international human rights groups

Nigerian telecoms operators complied with a government directive Friday to suspend access to Twitter indefinitely. The government directive was released after Twitter deleted a tweet by Nigerian President Buhari.&nbsp;

The diplomatic missions of the EU, US, Britain, Canada and Ireland issued a joint statement late Saturday condemning the ban.

"Banning systems of expression is not the answer," it said.

"Precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic."&nbsp;

"The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication," it added.

More than 39 million Nigerians have a Twitter account, according to NOI polls, a public opinion and research organisation based in Nigeria.

The platform has played an important role in public discourse in the country, with hashtags #BringBackOurGirls after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in 2014, and #EndSARS during anti-police brutality protests last year.

On Wednesday, Twitter deleted President Muhammadu Buhari's tweet. In his tweet, Buhari had made a reference to Nigeria's civil war four decades ago in a warning about recent unrest.

The 78-year-old president, a former general, referred to "those misbehaving" in recent violence in the southeast, where officials blame a proscribed separatist group IPOB for attacks on police and election offices.

"Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," the president had posted on Twitter.

The presidency denied late on Saturday that the Twitter suspension was a response to the removal of that post.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

European Union and the United States expressed concern over indefinite Twitter ban in Nigeria. The move to ban Twitter has also been denounced by international human rights groups Nigerian telecoms operators complied with a government directive Friday to suspend access to Twitter indefinitely.

European Union and the United States expressed concern over indefinite Twitter ban in Nigeria. The move to ban Twitter has also been denounced by international human rights groups Nigerian telecoms operators complied with a government directive Friday to suspend access to Twitter indefinitely. The government directive was released after Twitter deleted a tweet by Nigerian President Buhari. The diplomatic missions of the EU, US, Britain, Canada and Ireland issued a joint statement late Saturday condemning the ban. "Banning systems of expression is not the answer," it said. "Precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic." "The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication," it added. More than 39 million Nigerians have a Twitter account, according to NOI polls, a public opinion and research organisation based in Nigeria. The platform has played an important role in public discourse in the country, with hashtags #BringBackOurGirls after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in 2014, and #EndSARS during anti-police brutality protests last year. On Wednesday, Twitter deleted President Muhammadu Buhari's tweet. In his tweet, Buhari had made a reference to Nigeria's civil war four decades ago in a warning about recent unrest. The 78-year-old president, a former general, referred to "those misbehaving" in recent violence in the southeast, where officials blame a proscribed separatist group IPOB for attacks on police and election offices. "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," the president had posted on Twitter. The presidency denied late on Saturday that the Twitter suspension was a response to the removal of that post. (With inputs from agencies)

European Union, US condemn Twitter ban in Nigeria

Twitter on Saturday removed and later restored the verified blue tick on the personal account of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

Officials of the Vice President Secretariat said the personal Twitter handle of Naidu @MVenkaiahNaidu was inactive for a long time and the Twitter algorithm removed the blue badge.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigeria-bans-twitter-indefinitely-after-muhammadu-buharis-account-suspension-389533">Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension</a>

They said Twitter was in the process of restoring the verification badge. The last tweet posted from the personal handle was on July 23 last year.

The officials said Twitter was contacted after they noticed this morning that the blue tick was removed. Before 10.30 am, the blue tick badge was restored, they said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/insult-to-75-million-voters-donald-trump-banned-for-two-years-from-facebook-389539">'Insult to 75 million voters': Donald Trump banned for two years from Facebook</a>

Twitter said the account has been inactive since July 2020. It said the verified badge has now been restored. The Vice President uses the official Twitter handle @VPSecretariat to send out tweets.

Twitter on Saturday removed and later restored the verified blue tick on the personal account of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Officials of the Vice President Secretariat said the personal Twitter handle of Naidu @MVenkaiahNaidu was inactive for a long time and the Twitter algorithm removed the blue badge.

Twitter on Saturday removed and later restored the verified blue tick on the personal account of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Officials of the Vice President Secretariat said the personal Twitter handle of Naidu @MVenkaiahNaidu was inactive for a long time and the Twitter algorithm removed the blue badge. Also Read | Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension They said Twitter was in the process of restoring the verification badge. The last tweet posted from the personal handle was on July 23 last year. The officials said Twitter was contacted after they noticed this morning that the blue tick was removed. Before 10.30 am, the blue tick badge was restored, they said. Also Read | 'Insult to 75 million voters': Donald Trump banned for two years from Facebook Twitter said the account has been inactive since July 2020. It said the verified badge has now been restored. The Vice President uses the official Twitter handle @VPSecretariat to send out tweets.

Twitter removes and then restores blue tick on Vice Prez Naidu's personal account

Group of Seven rich nations (G7) on Saturday agreed over a global minimum tax of at least 15 per cent on a country by country basis. This is a landmark move. It is understood to be aimed at getting multinationals, especially tech giants to put more money in government coffers in times when economies around the world have been hit because of coronavirus pandemic.

"We commit to reaching an equitable solution on the allocation of taxing rights, with market countries awarded taxing rights on at least 20% of profit exceeding a 10% margin for the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises," a communique from G7 finance ministers seen by Reuters said.

"We will provide for appropriate coordination between the application of the new international tax rules and the removal of all Digital Services Taxes, and other relevant similar measures, on all companies."

The&nbsp;proposal, will then go to the expanded group of 20 countries at their finance meeting in July.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-says-it-could-pay-more-corporate-tax-after-g7-decision-389681">Facebook says it could pay more corporate tax after G7 decision</a>

British finance minister Rishi Sunak was chairing the London meetings, held in person after an easing of Covid-19 restrictions and attended by counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

The talks were preparing the ground for a broader summit of G7 leaders in Cornwall, southwest England, starting Friday.

US President Joe Biden will attend the summit next week. This will be his first foreign tour since taking the office in January

'Right time'

Momentum was&nbsp;growing behind the US-led plans to limit the ability of multinationals like tech giants to game the system to boost profits, especially at a time when economies around the world are reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

German finance minister Olaf Scholz on Friday told reporters it was the "right time" for a global tax deal given the vast sums spent by governments "to protect citizens, stabilise the economy and save jobs" since last year.

Biden has called for a unified minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent in negotiations with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and G20.

(With inputs from agencies)

Group of Seven rich nations (G7) on Saturday agreed over a global minimum tax of at least 15 per cent on a country by country basis. This is a landmark move. It is understood to be aimed at getting multinationals, especially tech giants to put more money in government coffers in times when economies around the world have been hit because of coronavirus pandemic.

Group of Seven rich nations (G7) on Saturday agreed over a global minimum tax of at least 15 per cent on a country by country basis. This is a landmark move. It is understood to be aimed at getting multinationals, especially tech giants to put more money in government coffers in times when economies around the world have been hit because of coronavirus pandemic. "We commit to reaching an equitable solution on the allocation of taxing rights, with market countries awarded taxing rights on at least 20% of profit exceeding a 10% margin for the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises," a communique from G7 finance ministers seen by Reuters said. "We will provide for appropriate coordination between the application of the new international tax rules and the removal of all Digital Services Taxes, and other relevant similar measures, on all companies." The proposal, will then go to the expanded group of 20 countries at their finance meeting in July. Also Read | Facebook says it could pay more corporate tax after G7 decision British finance minister Rishi Sunak was chairing the London meetings, held in person after an easing of Covid-19 restrictions and attended by counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. The talks were preparing the ground for a broader summit of G7 leaders in Cornwall, southwest England, starting Friday. US President Joe Biden will attend the summit next week. This will be his first foreign tour since taking the office in January 'Right time' Momentum was growing behind the US-led plans to limit the ability of multinationals like tech giants to game the system to boost profits, especially at a time when economies around the world are reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. German finance minister Olaf Scholz on Friday told reporters it was the "right time" for a global tax deal given the vast sums spent by governments "to protect citizens, stabilise the economy and save jobs" since last year. Biden has called for a unified minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent in negotiations with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and G20. (With inputs from agencies)

Eye on tech firms: G7 nations agree on minimum 15 per cent corporate tax rate

A day after Nigerian government's indefinite suspension of Twitter, telecom operators in the country restricted the social media platform. The suspension has come what are being called activities "capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence".

The move has been condemned by international human rights groups.

Twitter suspension in Nigeria came two days after the platform deleted a tweet from president Muhammadu Buhari for violating rules.

"The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria," ministry of information and culture spokesman Segun Adeyemi said in a statement on Friday.

The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) confirmed its members had received formal instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator to suspend access to Twitter.

The association said in a statement that a robust assessment of the request had been made and that members had "acted in compliance".&nbsp;

"Network data show that access to the Twitter platform and backend servers is now restricted on leading networks MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile," the London-based internet monitor Netblocks wrote on its website Saturday.

'Repressive action'&nbsp;

Amnesty International on Friday condemned the moved. It called on Nigeria to "immediately reverse the unlawful suspension".

"This repressive action is a clear attempt to censor dissent &amp; stifle the civic space," Human Rights Watch researcher Anietie Ewang said.

Twitter said that the move was "deeply concerning".&nbsp;

"We're investigating and will provide updates when we know more," the company said in a statement.

Nigeria in 2019 had announced it would tighten regulations on social media to fight fake news and disinformation, sparking concerns over freedom of expression.

Twitter on Wednesday deleted a remark on the president's account after he referred to the country's civil war in a warning about recent unrest in the southeast.

The 78-year-old president, a former general, referred to "those misbehaving" in recent violence in the southeast, where officials blame separatists for attacks on police and election offices.

"Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," the president had posted on Twitter.

(With inputs from agencies)

A day after Nigerian government's indefinite suspension of Twitter, telecom operators in the country restricted the social media platform. The suspension has come what are being called activities "capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence".

A day after Nigerian government's indefinite suspension of Twitter, telecom operators in the country restricted the social media platform. The suspension has come what are being called activities "capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence". The move has been condemned by international human rights groups. Twitter suspension in Nigeria came two days after the platform deleted a tweet from president Muhammadu Buhari for violating rules. "The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria," ministry of information and culture spokesman Segun Adeyemi said in a statement on Friday. The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) confirmed its members had received formal instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator to suspend access to Twitter. The association said in a statement that a robust assessment of the request had been made and that members had "acted in compliance". "Network data show that access to the Twitter platform and backend servers is now restricted on leading networks MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile," the London-based internet monitor Netblocks wrote on its website Saturday. 'Repressive action' Amnesty International on Friday condemned the moved. It called on Nigeria to "immediately reverse the unlawful suspension". "This repressive action is a clear attempt to censor dissent & stifle the civic space," Human Rights Watch researcher Anietie Ewang said. Twitter said that the move was "deeply concerning". "We're investigating and will provide updates when we know more," the company said in a statement. Nigeria in 2019 had announced it would tighten regulations on social media to fight fake news and disinformation, sparking concerns over freedom of expression. Twitter on Wednesday deleted a remark on the president's account after he referred to the country's civil war in a warning about recent unrest in the southeast. The 78-year-old president, a former general, referred to "those misbehaving" in recent violence in the southeast, where officials blame separatists for attacks on police and election offices. "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," the president had posted on Twitter. (With inputs from agencies)

Nigeria restricts Twitter just days after it deletes president's tweet

The government on Saturday issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to 'immediately' comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said that Twitter's refusal to comply with the rules demonstrated the microblogging site's 'lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform'.

"Despite being operational in India for more than a decade, it is beyond belief that Twitter Inc has doggedly refused to create mechanism that will enable the people of India to resolve their issues on the platform in a timely and transparent manner and through fair processes, by India based, clearly identified resources," the IT ministry said.

The ministry said that though with effect from May 26, 2021, 'consequences follow' given Twitter's non-compliance with rules "however, as a gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available...Shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India."

The notice, however, did not given a specific deadline to comply with the rules.

(With inputs from agencies)

The government on Saturday issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to 'immediately' comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act.

The government on Saturday issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to 'immediately' comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said that Twitter's refusal to comply with the rules demonstrated the microblogging site's 'lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform'. "Despite being operational in India for more than a decade, it is beyond belief that Twitter Inc has doggedly refused to create mechanism that will enable the people of India to resolve their issues on the platform in a timely and transparent manner and through fair processes, by India based, clearly identified resources," the IT ministry said. The ministry said that though with effect from May 26, 2021, 'consequences follow' given Twitter's non-compliance with rules "however, as a gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available...Shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India." The notice, however, did not given a specific deadline to comply with the rules. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian govt issues 'one last notice' to Twitter to comply with IT rules

Bitcoin&nbsp;slipped more than 3 per cent on Friday after Tesla boss Elon&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;fired off a&nbsp;tweet&nbsp;hinting at a breakup with the cryptocurrency, though it remains on course for its best&nbsp;weekly&nbsp;gain&nbsp;in about a month as it tries to recover from May's crash.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/bitcoin-other-cryptocurrencies-tumble-over-biden-tax-plan-fears-379752">Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies tumble over Biden tax plan fears</a>

Bitcoin&nbsp;was last down about 3.6 per cent at $37,809.&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;tweeted "#Bitcoin" and a heartbreak emoji above a meme appearing to show a couple discussing their breakup.&nbsp;Bitcoin&nbsp;is up 6.3 per cent this week.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> 💔 <a href="https://t.co/lNnEfMdtJf">pic.twitter.com/lNnEfMdtJf</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1400620080090730501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Musk&nbsp;has been a major promoter of cryptocurrencies but has turned critical of&nbsp;bitcoin&nbsp;since suspending Tesla plans to take it in payment for cars owing to concerns about its energy use.

Bitcoin slipped more than 3 per cent on Friday after Tesla boss Elon Musk fired off a tweet hinting at a breakup with the cryptocurrency, though it remains on course for its best weekly gain in about a month as it tries to recover from May's crash.

Bitcoin slipped more than 3 per cent on Friday after Tesla boss Elon Musk fired off a tweet hinting at a breakup with the cryptocurrency, though it remains on course for its best weekly gain in about a month as it tries to recover from May's crash. Also Read | Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies tumble over Biden tax plan fears Bitcoin was last down about 3.6 per cent at $37,809. Musk tweeted "#Bitcoin" and a heartbreak emoji above a meme appearing to show a couple discussing their breakup. Bitcoin is up 6.3 per cent this week. #Bitcoin 💔 pic.twitter.com/lNnEfMdtJf — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2021 × Musk has been a major promoter of cryptocurrencies but has turned critical of bitcoin since suspending Tesla plans to take it in payment for cars owing to concerns about its energy use.

Musk tweet dents bitcoin, but weekly gain in prospect

Almost two days after Twitter removed Nigerian president's 'abusive' civil war tweet, the government has decided to ‘indefinitely’ ban the social media platform in the country.

The leader had tweeted in relation to the 1967-70 civil war saying, "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand".

Twitter immediately removed the post claiming it violated its "abusive behaviour" policy. As a result, his account was suspended for 12 hours.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-nigerian-presidents-account-for-12-hours-389291" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-nigerian-presidents-account-for-12-hours-389291&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi-3NPUt_7wAhVO7XMBHX23DMwQFjAEegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3kGz6nQpjjYMxwzQrz5kFW" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-nigerian-presidents-account-for-12-hours-389291" target="_blank">Twitter suspends&nbsp;Nigerian&nbsp;president's account for 12 hours</a>

However, that was not well received by the Nigerian government, who proceeded to ban the social media platform on Friday, until further notice.

Nigerian government claimed Twitter was banned as it was being misused for activities that were "capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence".

The social media platform was still operational on Friday when the announcement was made. "I can't answer technicalities... operations will be suspended indefinitely," Nigeria’s ministry special assistant Segun Adeyemi told news agency AFP.

Almost two days after Twitter removed Nigerian president's 'abusive' civil war tweet, the government has decided to ‘indefinitely’ ban the social media platform in the country.

Almost two days after Twitter removed Nigerian president's 'abusive' civil war tweet, the government has decided to ‘indefinitely’ ban the social media platform in the country. The leader had tweeted in relation to the 1967-70 civil war saying, "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand". Twitter immediately removed the post claiming it violated its "abusive behaviour" policy. As a result, his account was suspended for 12 hours. Also read | Twitter suspends Nigerian president's account for 12 hours However, that was not well received by the Nigerian government, who proceeded to ban the social media platform on Friday, until further notice. Nigerian government claimed Twitter was banned as it was being misused for activities that were "capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence". The social media platform was still operational on Friday when the announcement was made. "I can't answer technicalities... operations will be suspended indefinitely," Nigeria’s ministry special assistant Segun Adeyemi told news agency AFP.

Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension

Twitter on Wednesday removed Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari's post threatening punishment for regional secessionists blamed for attacks on government buildings. The tweet was in reference to 1967-70 civil war in Biafra region. The war had killed 1 million people. Twitter said Buhari's tweet violated its "abusive behavior" policy leading to a 12-hour suspension of his account.

Buhari has served in the army against the secessionists and was Nigeria's military ruler in the 1980s. He tweeted on Tuesday that &nbsp;many people misbehaving today were too young to remember the deaths and destruction from the civil war.

"Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," he warned in the tweet that was taken down.

Nigeria has seen a spate of arson attacks on electoral offices and police stations in recent weeks, especially in the southeast. Officers have also been killed.

Buhari's tweet attracted criticism from some social media users before it was removed. They accused him of targetting Igbo people from the largest ethnic group in the southeast The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is influential in the region and its efforts to revive sentiments over Biafra have prompted a crackdown from security agencies in recent years.

Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed was dismissive of Twitter's action, saying Buhari had every right to express dismay at violence by a banned organization.

(With inputs from agencies)

Twitter on Wednesday removed Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari's post threatening punishment for regional secessionists blamed for attacks on government buildings.

Twitter on Wednesday removed Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari's post threatening punishment for regional secessionists blamed for attacks on government buildings. The tweet was in reference to 1967-70 civil war in Biafra region. The war had killed 1 million people. Twitter said Buhari's tweet violated its "abusive behavior" policy leading to a 12-hour suspension of his account. Buhari has served in the army against the secessionists and was Nigeria's military ruler in the 1980s. He tweeted on Tuesday that many people misbehaving today were too young to remember the deaths and destruction from the civil war. "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," he warned in the tweet that was taken down. Nigeria has seen a spate of arson attacks on electoral offices and police stations in recent weeks, especially in the southeast. Officers have also been killed. Buhari's tweet attracted criticism from some social media users before it was removed. They accused him of targetting Igbo people from the largest ethnic group in the southeast The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is influential in the region and its efforts to revive sentiments over Biafra have prompted a crackdown from security agencies in recent years. Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed was dismissive of Twitter's action, saying Buhari had every right to express dismay at violence by a banned organization. (With inputs from agencies)

Twitter suspends Nigerian president's account for 12 hours

A day on, Twitter has still not explained why it filtered a conversation on Abortion. In an interview to WION's Palki, academician Vivek Wadhwa explains why social media platforms are behaving like British colonial masters.

Gravitas: Why did Twitter restrict a conversation on abortion?

After pausing for a week, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-testing-ads-on-fleets-to-catch-up-to-snap-facebook-388844">Twitter</a> announced it has resumed the process of accepting users’ requests for verification of their personal data.

The verification process had restarted on May 20 after over&nbsp;four years.

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We’re rolling in verification requests. So we gotta hit pause on accepting any more for now while we review the ones that have been submitted. 
 
We’ll reopen requests soon! (we pinky swear)
— Twitter Verified (@verified) <a href="https://twitter.com/verified/status/1398359044054790153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The verification is open in various categories namely: companies, brands, government, organizations, news outlets and journalists, sports and gaming, entertainment, activists, organisers and other influential individuals.

The micro-blogging site plans to expand the list further later in the year.

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Requests are open! Sorry about that pause –– now you can get back to your quest for a blue badge.
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How to get your profile verified to get the blue badge:

Go to: &nbsp;Settings and privacy&gt;&gt; Account&gt;&gt; Verification request on the Twitter app

or Settings&gt;&gt; Your account&gt;&gt; Account information&gt;&gt; Request Verification on the Twitter website.

There are specific rules a user has to keep in mind including strict privacy and authenticity policies. Twitter says the account should be "authentic, notable, and active".

According to the social media site, a user can choose three methods for verification namely through an official website, ID verification and official email address.

For news organizations and journalists, Twitter clearly states that they must adhere to "recognised professional standards for journalism such as those laid out by the Society of Professional Journalists, Independent Press Standards Organization, and International Federation of Journalists."

The profile verification process was suspended by the San Francisco-based company four years ago after it said it was being confused as an endorsement.

(With inputs from Agencies)

After pausing for a week, Twitter announced it has resumed the process of accepting users’ requests for verification of their personal data. The verification process had restarted on May 20 after over four years.

After pausing for a week, Twitter announced it has resumed the process of accepting users’ requests for verification of their personal data. The verification process had restarted on May 20 after over four years. We’re rolling in verification requests. So we gotta hit pause on accepting any more for now while we review the ones that have been submitted. We’ll reopen requests soon! (we pinky swear) — Twitter Verified (@verified) May 28, 2021 × The verification is open in various categories namely: companies, brands, government, organizations, news outlets and journalists, sports and gaming, entertainment, activists, organisers and other influential individuals. The micro-blogging site plans to expand the list further later in the year. Requests are open! Sorry about that pause –– now you can get back to your quest for a blue badge. — Twitter Verified (@verified) June 1, 2021 × How to get your profile verified to get the blue badge: Go to: Settings and privacy>> Account>> Verification request on the Twitter app or Settings>> Your account>> Account information>> Request Verification on the Twitter website. There are specific rules a user has to keep in mind including strict privacy and authenticity policies. Twitter says the account should be "authentic, notable, and active". According to the social media site, a user can choose three methods for verification namely through an official website, ID verification and official email address. For news organizations and journalists, Twitter clearly states that they must adhere to "recognised professional standards for journalism such as those laid out by the Society of Professional Journalists, Independent Press Standards Organization, and International Federation of Journalists." The profile verification process was suspended by the San Francisco-based company four years ago after it said it was being confused as an endorsement. (With inputs from Agencies)

Twitter restarts verification application process for the blue badge: Find out how to apply

Google on Wednesday clarified that its search engine is not classified to be part of the new IT intermediary guidelines 2021, urging the Delhi High Court to set aside an order that puts Google Search as part of the new IT rules. 
 
The single judge order on April 20 came in a case where a woman`s images were uploaded on a pornographic website and despite court orders, the objectionable content could not be removed in entirety from the internet.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/whatsapp-goes-to-court-over-indian-governments-new-it-rules-387479">WhatsApp goes to court over Indian government's new IT rules</a> 
 
A Google spokesperson told IANS that Search engines are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the internet. 
 
"While we maintain a consistent policy over removal of objectionable content from search results, the Delhi High Court order has cast certain obligations that would wrongly classify Google search as a social media intermediary," a Google spokesperson told IANS.

"We`ve filed an appeal against this part of the order and look forward to explaining the steps we take to remove objectionable content from Google search results," the company spokesperson added.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-new-it-rules-set-to-come-into-effect-will-us-big-tech-comply-387359">India's new IT rules set to come into effect, will US big tech comply?</a>

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh has issued notice to the Union government, Delhi government, Facebook, the pornographic site and Internet Service Providers Association of India, seeking their responses to Google`s plea by July 25. 
 
The Google spokesperson said that the "direction also requires proactively identifying and globally disabling access to any content which may be similar to the offending content, that may appear on any other websites/online platforms, or in any other context".

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/seven-social-media-platforms-comply-with-some-it-rules-twitter-drags-feet-388125">Seven social media platforms comply with some IT rules; Twitter drags feet</a> 
 
The new rules notified in the gazette of India on February 25 under the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, came into effect from May 26. 
 
While Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Telegram, LinkedIn etc have either fully or partially complied with the new IT rules, Twitter has reiterated to comply with the new IT intermediary guidelines in India as the Delhi High Court issued notice on a plea against the non-compliance by Twitter India and Twitter Inc.

Google on Wednesday clarified that its search engine is not classified to be part of the new IT intermediary guidelines 2021, urging the Delhi High Court to set aside an order that puts Google Search as part of the new IT rules.

Google on Wednesday clarified that its search engine is not classified to be part of the new IT intermediary guidelines 2021, urging the Delhi High Court to set aside an order that puts Google Search as part of the new IT rules. The single judge order on April 20 came in a case where a woman`s images were uploaded on a pornographic website and despite court orders, the objectionable content could not be removed in entirety from the internet. Also Read | WhatsApp goes to court over Indian government's new IT rules A Google spokesperson told IANS that Search engines are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the internet. "While we maintain a consistent policy over removal of objectionable content from search results, the Delhi High Court order has cast certain obligations that would wrongly classify Google search as a social media intermediary," a Google spokesperson told IANS. "We`ve filed an appeal against this part of the order and look forward to explaining the steps we take to remove objectionable content from Google search results," the company spokesperson added. Also Read | India's new IT rules set to come into effect, will US big tech comply? A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh has issued notice to the Union government, Delhi government, Facebook, the pornographic site and Internet Service Providers Association of India, seeking their responses to Google`s plea by July 25. The Google spokesperson said that the "direction also requires proactively identifying and globally disabling access to any content which may be similar to the offending content, that may appear on any other websites/online platforms, or in any other context". Also Read | Seven social media platforms comply with some IT rules; Twitter drags feet The new rules notified in the gazette of India on February 25 under the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, came into effect from May 26. While Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Telegram, LinkedIn etc have either fully or partially complied with the new IT rules, Twitter has reiterated to comply with the new IT intermediary guidelines in India as the Delhi High Court issued notice on a plea against the non-compliance by Twitter India and Twitter Inc.

Google says its search engine not classified as part of new IT rules in India

Twitter Inc said Tuesday it will begin testing ads on its disappearing posts feature called Fleets, as it works to offer more options for advertisers. 
 
The social media company previously said it set a goal of doubling its annual revenue by 2023 from last year`s levels, which it plans to achieve in part by selling ads on more parts of its site and mobile app. 
 
Fleet ads will be the first on Twitter that appear full screen on phones, the company said. Advertisers generally like full-screen ads because they capture the user`s attention. 
 
The new offering is part of Twitter`s aim to catch up to larger social media platforms like Facebook Inc and Snap Inc , which have long offered a "Stories" posts feature that disappears after 24 hours and is monetised with ads. 
 
Brands that create Fleet ads can also use a feature that would direct a user to the company`s website or other web destination if they swipe up on the ad. 
&nbsp;

Twitter Inc said Tuesday it will begin testing ads on its disappearing posts feature called Fleets, as it works to offer more options for advertisers. The social media company previously said it set a goal of doubling its annual revenue by 2023 from last year`s levels, which it plans to achieve in part by selling ads on more parts of its site and mobile app.

Twitter Inc said Tuesday it will begin testing ads on its disappearing posts feature called Fleets, as it works to offer more options for advertisers. The social media company previously said it set a goal of doubling its annual revenue by 2023 from last year`s levels, which it plans to achieve in part by selling ads on more parts of its site and mobile app. Fleet ads will be the first on Twitter that appear full screen on phones, the company said. Advertisers generally like full-screen ads because they capture the user`s attention. The new offering is part of Twitter`s aim to catch up to larger social media platforms like Facebook Inc and Snap Inc , which have long offered a "Stories" posts feature that disappears after 24 hours and is monetised with ads. Brands that create Fleet ads can also use a feature that would direct a user to the company`s website or other web destination if they swipe up on the ad.

Twitter testing ads on Fleets to catch up to Snap, Facebook

Twitter claims to be the champion of free speech. What it actually does is restricts free speech. Twitted branded Gravitas Plus on abortion as 'sensitive content'. It restricted access to quote tweets, tweet activity. WION's Palki calls out #ManipulatedSocialMedia.

Gravitas: Twitter is blocking free speech, controlling conversations

In the post-truth era, misinformation dictates content on social media platforms. Mega-companies like Twitter and Facebook have largely been unable to keep up with the circulation of manipulated information. Now, Twitter will mark user tweets based on the accuracy of information it claims to represent.&nbsp;

Part of this initiative will include a three-tiered labelling mechanism whereby the veracity of one’s claims will reflect in those labels. The labels are not arbitrary and are expected to change essentially based on how wrong one is.

Application researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who is known for unveiling upcoming features before they go live recently shared a glimpse of how the labelling system will operate.

Based on Wong’s revelations, it appears that the three-tier system will have the following labels “Get the latest,” “Stay Informed,” and “Misleading”, with these subject to change as the information is updated.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Twitter is working on three levels of misinformation warning labels: 
 
“Get the latest”, “Stay Informed” and “Misleading” <a href="https://t.co/0RdmMsRAEk">pic.twitter.com/0RdmMsRAEk</a>
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) <a href="https://twitter.com/wongmjane/status/1399311420794105862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

“Get the latest” will basically imply that the information in a particular Tweet appears to be correct and the link will direct the user to further information.&nbsp;“Stay informed” would suggest some sort of factual inconsistency, with a label redirecting people to verified sources or to Twitter’s own&nbsp;resources.

The third label “Misleading” will warn users against misinformation and factually incorrect claims on the website marred with rampant fake news.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/russia-fines-twitter-19-million-roubles-for-failing-to-delete-content-387876" hreflang="en">Russia fines Twitter 19 million roubles for failing to delete content</a>

Even then, this brings to fore the question of censorship and whether Twitter can accurately differentiate misinformation from factually correct information.&nbsp;

It is unclear when the feature will be rolled out and whether it will even see the light of day. But Wong's claims have proven to be right in the recent weeks, with the reintroduction of the verification programme and its Tip Jar feature to assist with content monetisation.

In the recent weeks, social media companies have been accused of stifling pro-Palestine voices amid the fatal conflict with Israel and the role played by social media companies in amplifying and stifling certain narratives is becoming increasingly questionable.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/india-slams-twitters-concerns-over-threat-to-free-speech-387864" hreflang="en">India slams Twitter's concerns over threat to free speech</a>

In the post-truth era, misinformation dictates content on social media platforms. Mega-companies like Twitter and Facebook have largely been unable to keep up with the circulation of manipulated information.

In the post-truth era, misinformation dictates content on social media platforms. Mega-companies like Twitter and Facebook have largely been unable to keep up with the circulation of manipulated information. Now, Twitter will mark user tweets based on the accuracy of information it claims to represent. Part of this initiative will include a three-tiered labelling mechanism whereby the veracity of one’s claims will reflect in those labels. The labels are not arbitrary and are expected to change essentially based on how wrong one is. Application researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who is known for unveiling upcoming features before they go live recently shared a glimpse of how the labelling system will operate. Based on Wong’s revelations, it appears that the three-tier system will have the following labels “Get the latest,” “Stay Informed,” and “Misleading”, with these subject to change as the information is updated. Twitter is working on three levels of misinformation warning labels: “Get the latest”, “Stay Informed” and “Misleading” pic.twitter.com/0RdmMsRAEk — Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 31, 2021 × “Get the latest” will basically imply that the information in a particular Tweet appears to be correct and the link will direct the user to further information. “Stay informed” would suggest some sort of factual inconsistency, with a label redirecting people to verified sources or to Twitter’s own resources. The third label “Misleading” will warn users against misinformation and factually incorrect claims on the website marred with rampant fake news. Also read: Russia fines Twitter 19 million roubles for failing to delete content Even then, this brings to fore the question of censorship and whether Twitter can accurately differentiate misinformation from factually correct information. It is unclear when the feature will be rolled out and whether it will even see the light of day. But Wong's claims have proven to be right in the recent weeks, with the reintroduction of the verification programme and its Tip Jar feature to assist with content monetisation. In the recent weeks, social media companies have been accused of stifling pro-Palestine voices amid the fatal conflict with Israel and the role played by social media companies in amplifying and stifling certain narratives is becoming increasingly questionable. Also read: India slams Twitter's concerns over threat to free speech

Twitter is working on a three-tier labelling mechanism to fight misinformation. Here's how it'll work

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has ordered Delhi Police to file a FIR against Twitter for supplying misleading information during an investigation, amid the uproar over the microblogging site's non-compliance with the new IT standards.

NCPCR requests Delhi Police to file a FIR against Twitter

Seven&nbsp;social media platforms have complied with some of the rules under the new IT rules that came into effect earlier this week.&nbsp;

Koo, Sharechat, Telegram, LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, WhatsApp&nbsp;have shared the list of&nbsp;their Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person, and Grievance Officer as envisaged under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 with India's&nbsp;Information Technology(IT)&nbsp;ministry. IT ministry is the main nodal ministry that deals with the matter.&nbsp;

The rules were notified in February and three-month time period was given to social media platforms to implement them. Other key issues like traceability remain, that is the first origin of any message, the details of which have to be shared with the authorities under the new rules.

Whatsapp has gone to the Delhi High Court over that rule, saying that it will mean a breach of the fundamental right to privacy and violates its end-to-end encryption. The Indian government has dismissed that saying no fundamental right is absolute and the rules are "reasonable restrictions"&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Twitter is yet to follow the rule and told the Indian government that it is nominating a lawyer as its&nbsp;Nodal Contact Person and Grievance Officer. According to the rules, the officers should be&nbsp;employees of the company and residents in India. Interestingly, Twitter sent the communication to the Indian govt late last night, a day which saw the Indian govt slamming twitter over non-implementation of new IT rules.&nbsp;

The Indian govt statement said, "Twitter needs to stop beating around the bush and comply with the laws of the land" and reminded it that". The statement added, "&nbsp;Law making and policy formulations is the sole prerogative of the sovereign and Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what India’s legal policy framework should be."

Also, Twitter is yet to send out the&nbsp;details of the Chief Compliance Officer to the government as mentioned in the IT rules.&nbsp;

Seven social media platforms have complied with some of the rules under the new IT rules that came into effect earlier this week. Koo, Sharechat, Telegram, LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, WhatsApp have shared the list of their Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person, and Grievance Officer as envisaged under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 with India's Information Technology(IT) ministry.

Seven social media platforms have complied with some of the rules under the new IT rules that came into effect earlier this week. Koo, Sharechat, Telegram, LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, WhatsApp have shared the list of their Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person, and Grievance Officer as envisaged under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 with India's Information Technology(IT) ministry. IT ministry is the main nodal ministry that deals with the matter. The rules were notified in February and three-month time period was given to social media platforms to implement them. Other key issues like traceability remain, that is the first origin of any message, the details of which have to be shared with the authorities under the new rules. Whatsapp has gone to the Delhi High Court over that rule, saying that it will mean a breach of the fundamental right to privacy and violates its end-to-end encryption. The Indian government has dismissed that saying no fundamental right is absolute and the rules are "reasonable restrictions" Meanwhile, Twitter is yet to follow the rule and told the Indian government that it is nominating a lawyer as its Nodal Contact Person and Grievance Officer. According to the rules, the officers should be employees of the company and residents in India. Interestingly, Twitter sent the communication to the Indian govt late last night, a day which saw the Indian govt slamming twitter over non-implementation of new IT rules. The Indian govt statement said, "Twitter needs to stop beating around the bush and comply with the laws of the land" and reminded it that". The statement added, " Law making and policy formulations is the sole prerogative of the sovereign and Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what India’s legal policy framework should be." Also, Twitter is yet to send out the details of the Chief Compliance Officer to the government as mentioned in the IT rules.

Seven social media platforms comply with some IT rules; Twitter drags feet

The war of words between India and Twitter escalated with the social media company accusing the government of intimidation. New Delhi hit back saying Twitter is undermining India's legal system. How long can big tech fight regulation? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Twitter concerned for its staff in India

The government on Thursday termed a Twitter statement as "baseless and false", accusing the police of intimidating and endangering freedom of expression on the issue of 'manipulation media' tag.

India hit out at Twitter saying, "Twitter can't dictate the legal policy framework"

A Russian court on Thursday fined&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;19 million roubles ($259,000) for failing to delete content considered illegal by Moscow, in the latest episode of a long-running dispute between Russia and the social network operator.

Twitter&nbsp;has been subjected to a punitive slowdown in Russia since March, part of a broader stand-off between Moscow and big tech companies to beef up what it calls internet sovereignty.

State communications regulator Roskomnadzor earlier this month partially halted the slowdown after&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;deleted more than 90 per cent&nbsp;of illegal content, which Roskomnadzor says includes posts containing child pornography, drug abuse information or calls for minors to commit suicide.

Twitter&nbsp;denies allowing its platform to be used to promote illegal behaviour and says it has a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual exploitation and prohibits the promotion of suicide or self-harm.

On Thursday, Moscow's Tagansky District Court said it issued&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;with fines for six different administrative offences, totalling 19 million roubles.

Twitter, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, was also fined 8.9 million roubles in April.

TikTok and Google received smaller fines on Thursday worth 1.5 million roubles&nbsp;and 3.5 million roubles for similar offences .

Repeat offences can be punishable by a fine of up to 10 per cent&nbsp;of the company's total annual revenue, Roskomnadzor has said, but it is unclear whether it would take such a step.

Roskomnadzor earlier on Thursday said it was not yet planning to slow down the speed of Google or Facebook, as it has done with&nbsp;Twitter, but warned it could take more radical steps.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Russian court on Thursday fined Twitter 19 million roubles ($259,000) for failing to delete content considered illegal by Moscow, in the latest episode of a long-running dispute between Russia and the social network operator.

A Russian court on Thursday fined Twitter 19 million roubles ($259,000) for failing to delete content considered illegal by Moscow, in the latest episode of a long-running dispute between Russia and the social network operator. Twitter has been subjected to a punitive slowdown in Russia since March, part of a broader stand-off between Moscow and big tech companies to beef up what it calls internet sovereignty. State communications regulator Roskomnadzor earlier this month partially halted the slowdown after Twitter deleted more than 90 per cent of illegal content, which Roskomnadzor says includes posts containing child pornography, drug abuse information or calls for minors to commit suicide. Twitter denies allowing its platform to be used to promote illegal behaviour and says it has a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual exploitation and prohibits the promotion of suicide or self-harm. On Thursday, Moscow's Tagansky District Court said it issued Twitter with fines for six different administrative offences, totalling 19 million roubles. Twitter, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, was also fined 8.9 million roubles in April. TikTok and Google received smaller fines on Thursday worth 1.5 million roubles and 3.5 million roubles for similar offences . Repeat offences can be punishable by a fine of up to 10 per cent of the company's total annual revenue, Roskomnadzor has said, but it is unclear whether it would take such a step. Roskomnadzor earlier on Thursday said it was not yet planning to slow down the speed of Google or Facebook, as it has done with Twitter, but warned it could take more radical steps. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia fines Twitter 19 million roubles for failing to delete content

The government on Thursday slammed as "baseless and false" a statement by Twitter that had alleged intimidation by police over the 'manipulated media' tags issue and threat to freedom of expression, with IT Ministry terming the company's stance as an attempt to dictate terms to the world's largest democracy.

The ministry asserted that representatives of social media companies, including Twitter, "are and will always remain safe in India", and that there is "no threat to their personal safety and security".

In a hard-hitting statement, the ministry said India has a glorious tradition of free speech and democratic practices dating back centuries.

"Protecting free speech in India is not the prerogative of only a private, for-profit, foreign entity like Twitter, but it is the commitment of the world's largest democracy and its robust institutions," it said.

Twitter's statement is an attempt to "dictate its terms" to the world's largest democracy, the ministry said, adding that through its actions and deliberate defiance, the company is seeking to undermine India's legal system.

Twitter refuses to comply with the very regulations in the Intermediary Guidelines on the basis of which it is claiming a safe harbour protection from any criminal liability in India, the ministry contended.

It questioned Twitter on why it did not set up a robust mechanism of its own in India, and said the company's officials in India routinely claimed that they have no authority and that "they and the people of India need to escalate everything to Twitter headquarter in USA".

The purported commitment of Twitter to its Indian user base thus not only sounds hollow but completely self serving, the ministry said.

Despite having a large user base in India and earning significant revenue from its operations here, Twitter is "most reluctant" to appoint India-based grievance redressal officer and mechanism, chief compliance officer and nodal officer to whom its own users can complain when they are subjected to offesive tweets, the ministry argued.

The government said it respects the right of people to ask questions and also criticise on these social media platforms, including Twitter. The government equally respects the right of privacy, it said.

"The only instance of scuttling free speech on Twitter is Twitter itself and its opaque policies, as a result of which people's accounts are suspended and tweets deleted arbitrarily without recourse," the ministry pointed out.

It asked Twitter to "stop beating around the bush" and comply with laws of the land.

"Law making and policy formulations is the sole prerogative of the sovereign and Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what India's legal policy framework should be," the ministry said.

The government said although Twitter claimed that it is committed to people of India, that commitment has been "most invisible in recent times".

Flagging some instances, it said Twitter chose to show the geo-locations of certain locations in Union&nbsp; 
Territory of Ladakh as part of China, and took several days to rectify "this blatant disrespect to India's sensitivity and territorial integrity".

The ministry also called out Twitter for delay in taking action on its order to block provocative content that could impact public law and order, even though the company had been quick to act on similar instance during violence at US Capitol Hill.

The ministry said that Twitter's "lack of responsibility" had led to rampant proliferation of fake and harmful content against India and Indians.

"Twitter Inc., a USA based private company, in its communique says that it seeks 'constructive dialogue', 'collaborative approach' from the Government of a sovereign democratic republic to 'safeguard interests of the public'. It is time that Twitter disabuses itself of this grandiosity and comply with laws of India," it said. 
Earlier on Thursday, Twitter had called the recent visit by Delhi Police to its offices a form of "intimidation" and said it was concerned about its employees and the potential threat to freedom of expression.

Twitter had marked tweets by ruling BJP leaders on the alleged strategy document of Opposition to target the government over COVID as containing 'manipulated media', which prompted the police to visit its offices late on Monday. Opposition Congress has disputed the document, calling it fake.

In its first official statement after the Delhi Police visited the company's offices in Delhi and in Gurugram to serve notice to its country managing director as part of its investigation into the 'manipulated media' tag, Twitter said it will continue to be strictly guided by principles of transparency and protecting freedom of expression.

"Right now, we are concerned by recent events regarding our employees in India and the potential threat to freedom of expression for the people we serve," Twitter said in the statement.

"We, alongside many in civil society in India and around the world, have concerns with regards to the use of intimidation tactics by the police in response to enforcement of our global Terms of Service, as well as with core elements of the new IT rules," Twitter had said.

The government on Thursday slammed as "baseless and false" a statement by Twitter that had alleged intimidation by police over the 'manipulated media' tags issue and threat to freedom of expression, with IT Ministry terming the company's stance as an attempt to dictate terms to the world's largest democracy.

The government on Thursday slammed as "baseless and false" a statement by Twitter that had alleged intimidation by police over the 'manipulated media' tags issue and threat to freedom of expression, with IT Ministry terming the company's stance as an attempt to dictate terms to the world's largest democracy. The ministry asserted that representatives of social media companies, including Twitter, "are and will always remain safe in India", and that there is "no threat to their personal safety and security". In a hard-hitting statement, the ministry said India has a glorious tradition of free speech and democratic practices dating back centuries. "Protecting free speech in India is not the prerogative of only a private, for-profit, foreign entity like Twitter, but it is the commitment of the world's largest democracy and its robust institutions," it said. Twitter's statement is an attempt to "dictate its terms" to the world's largest democracy, the ministry said, adding that through its actions and deliberate defiance, the company is seeking to undermine India's legal system. Twitter refuses to comply with the very regulations in the Intermediary Guidelines on the basis of which it is claiming a safe harbour protection from any criminal liability in India, the ministry contended. It questioned Twitter on why it did not set up a robust mechanism of its own in India, and said the company's officials in India routinely claimed that they have no authority and that "they and the people of India need to escalate everything to Twitter headquarter in USA". The purported commitment of Twitter to its Indian user base thus not only sounds hollow but completely self serving, the ministry said. Despite having a large user base in India and earning significant revenue from its operations here, Twitter is "most reluctant" to appoint India-based grievance redressal officer and mechanism, chief compliance officer and nodal officer to whom its own users can complain when they are subjected to offesive tweets, the ministry argued. The government said it respects the right of people to ask questions and also criticise on these social media platforms, including Twitter. The government equally respects the right of privacy, it said. "The only instance of scuttling free speech on Twitter is Twitter itself and its opaque policies, as a result of which people's accounts are suspended and tweets deleted arbitrarily without recourse," the ministry pointed out. It asked Twitter to "stop beating around the bush" and comply with laws of the land. "Law making and policy formulations is the sole prerogative of the sovereign and Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what India's legal policy framework should be," the ministry said. The government said although Twitter claimed that it is committed to people of India, that commitment has been "most invisible in recent times". Flagging some instances, it said Twitter chose to show the geo-locations of certain locations in Union Territory of Ladakh as part of China, and took several days to rectify "this blatant disrespect to India's sensitivity and territorial integrity". The ministry also called out Twitter for delay in taking action on its order to block provocative content that could impact public law and order, even though the company had been quick to act on similar instance during violence at US Capitol Hill. The ministry said that Twitter's "lack of responsibility" had led to rampant proliferation of fake and harmful content against India and Indians. "Twitter Inc., a USA based private company, in its communique says that it seeks 'constructive dialogue', 'collaborative approach' from the Government of a sovereign democratic republic to 'safeguard interests of the public'. It is time that Twitter disabuses itself of this grandiosity and comply with laws of India," it said. Earlier on Thursday, Twitter had called the recent visit by Delhi Police to its offices a form of "intimidation" and said it was concerned about its employees and the potential threat to freedom of expression. Twitter had marked tweets by ruling BJP leaders on the alleged strategy document of Opposition to target the government over COVID as containing 'manipulated media', which prompted the police to visit its offices late on Monday. Opposition Congress has disputed the document, calling it fake. In its first official statement after the Delhi Police visited the company's offices in Delhi and in Gurugram to serve notice to its country managing director as part of its investigation into the 'manipulated media' tag, Twitter said it will continue to be strictly guided by principles of transparency and protecting freedom of expression. "Right now, we are concerned by recent events regarding our employees in India and the potential threat to freedom of expression for the people we serve," Twitter said in the statement. "We, alongside many in civil society in India and around the world, have concerns with regards to the use of intimidation tactics by the police in response to enforcement of our global Terms of Service, as well as with core elements of the new IT rules," Twitter had said.

India slams Twitter's concerns over threat to free speech

India has hit back at Twitter saying Twitter needs to stop beating around the bush and comply with the laws of the land. It said Twitter is just a social media platform and has no locus in dictating what India's legal policy framework should be.

Twitter needs to stop beating around the bush, comply with law of land: India

Delhi Police on Thursday termed Twitter's statements in the 'toolkit' case "mendacious" and said that the statements from the social media giant were "designed to impede a lawful inquiry".

An official statement issued by Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal said, "Prima facie, these statements are not only mendacious but designed to impede a lawful inquiry by a private enterprise. Twitter Inc. Has taken upon itself, in the garb of terms of service, to adjudicate the truth or otherwise of documents in public space."

As per Delhi Police, Twitter was purporting to be both investigating authority and adjudicating authority, but has no legal sanction to be either.

The only legal entity to investigate is the police and to adjudicate is the courts, the statement said,

The Delhi Police said that it has registered a preliminary inquiry in the 'toolkit' case at the instance of a complaint filed by the representative of the Indian National Congress.

"Hence, the efforts by Twitter Inc. That portray that this as an FIR filed at the behest of the Government of India is wholly and completely incorrect," it stated.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/whatsapp-goes-to-court-over-indian-governments-new-it-rules-387479">WhatsApp goes to court over Indian government's new IT rules</a>

The statement further said that Twitter was seeking to gain "dubious sympathy" &nbsp;when they themselves not only refuse to comply with the law of the land but also claim to be in possession of material evidence but refuse to share it with the legal authority.

(With inputs from agencies)

Delhi Police on Thursday termed Twitter's statements in the 'toolkit' case "mendacious" and said that the statements from the social media giant were "designed to impede a lawful inquiry".

Delhi Police on Thursday termed Twitter's statements in the 'toolkit' case "mendacious" and said that the statements from the social media giant were "designed to impede a lawful inquiry". An official statement issued by Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal said, "Prima facie, these statements are not only mendacious but designed to impede a lawful inquiry by a private enterprise. Twitter Inc. Has taken upon itself, in the garb of terms of service, to adjudicate the truth or otherwise of documents in public space." As per Delhi Police, Twitter was purporting to be both investigating authority and adjudicating authority, but has no legal sanction to be either. The only legal entity to investigate is the police and to adjudicate is the courts, the statement said, The Delhi Police said that it has registered a preliminary inquiry in the 'toolkit' case at the instance of a complaint filed by the representative of the Indian National Congress. "Hence, the efforts by Twitter Inc. That portray that this as an FIR filed at the behest of the Government of India is wholly and completely incorrect," it stated. Also Read | WhatsApp goes to court over Indian government's new IT rules The statement further said that Twitter was seeking to gain "dubious sympathy" when they themselves not only refuse to comply with the law of the land but also claim to be in possession of material evidence but refuse to share it with the legal authority. (With inputs from agencies)

Delhi Police calls Twitter's statement 'mendacious', issues strongly-worded letter

Twitter said on Thursday that it was concerned about the safety of its employees in India when Delhi Police personnel visited their offices in South Delhi and Gurugram to "serve notice" in connection with the investigation into the controversial 'toolkit' case.

Twitter responds to new digital rules in India, says concerned about safety of Indian employees

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