Centre censors social media posts on declining internet freedom

The Centre has directed Twitter to locally censor accounts and dozens of posts, including some referencing a report that mentioned India's declining internet freedoms, the social media platform confirmed to AFP Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has been accused of stifling criticism, with rights groups sounding the alarm over growing curbs on freedom of speech in the world's largest democracy.

Last year the government ordered Twitter to take down tweets by the US think-tank Freedom House that had discussed the detention of Indian citizens for questioning government policy on social media, and the use of internet shutdowns to stifle dissent.

The tweets were no longer available in India as of this week, along with several accounts representing Pakistan's government that had been flagged by the Centre.

Twitter said in a statement to AFP that the removals were "limited to the specific jurisdiction/country where the content is determined to be illegal".

The Centre has repeatedly asked Twitter to withhold accounts and posts in recent years.

Last year it asked the platform to block accounts that had commented in support of anti-government protesters.

Police also investigated more than 100 social media account owners who had tweeted about mob attacks on Muslims in India's northeast last October, including prominent Indian journalists and a US-based law professor.