On Wednesday, Elon Musk commented on Twitter’s removal of content connected to a documentary critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating he was unaware of the specific circumstances that led to the action. He noted that social media regulations in India are notably stringent.
Earlier in January, the Indian government mandated the blocking of a BBC documentary that scrutinized Modi’s governance during the 2002 Gujarat riots, which resulted in significant loss of life. The government restricted even the sharing of clips from the film on social media platforms.
According to Kanchan Gupta, an adviser to the Indian government, Twitter was instructed to remove over 50 tweets that linked to the documentary’s video. Although the BBC did not broadcast the documentary in India, it was available on several YouTube channels, Gupta mentioned.
During an interview with the BBC, which was streamed live on Twitter Spaces, Musk expressed, “I am not aware of this particular situation. I don’t know what exactly happened with some content situation in India,” when asked about the platform’s response to the Indian government’s requests.
“The regulations in India pertaining to social media content are quite strict and we cannot go beyond the laws of the country,” he added.
The documentary delved into Modi’s role as chief minister of Gujarat during the 2002 riots, where at least 1,000 individuals lost their lives, the majority being Muslims, while some activists claim the actual toll was much higher.
“If we have a choice between our personnel facing imprisonment or complying with the laws, we will comply with the laws,” Musk stated.
Reports indicate that India’s scrutiny of various U.S. tech companies, including Twitter, WhatsApp, and Amazon, has negatively impacted the business climate in a crucial growth market, leading some firms to reconsider their expansion strategies.
In previous instances, Indian authorities have urged Twitter to take action against content, including accounts advocating for an independent Sikh state, posts that allegedly disseminated misinformation about farmer protests, and tweets criticizing the government’s COVID-19 response.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
