Twitter blocks 250 handles, posts over provocative content related to farmers protest

Twitter has temporarily blocked around 250 accounts and posts on Monday after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed microblogging platform to take action against several accounts for making 'fake, intimidatory and provocative' Tweets related to the ongoing farmers' agitation.

This was done on the request of Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies to prevent any escalation of law and order in view of the on-going farmer agitation and to act against accounts who are using the microblogging platform for spreading "false and provocative content".

"Many countries have laws that may apply to Tweets and/or Twitter account content. In our continuing effort to make our services available to people everywhere, if we receive a properly scoped request from an authorized entity, it may be necessary to withhold access to certain content in a particular country from time to time," Twitter said in a statement to ANI.

According to sources, some Twitter handles have been posting 'fake, intimidatory and provocative tweets' alleging Government of planning farmers genocide.

Incitement to genocide is a grave threat to public order and therefore the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) ordered for blocking of these Twitter accounts and Tweets under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, said sources.

On January 26, farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre's three new farm laws.

Farmers have been protesting on the borders of Delhi since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

(ANI)

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