Government serves notice to Twitter asking to block 1,178 ‘Pakistani, Khalistani’ accounts

The government has served another notice to social media giant Twitter, asking it to block as many as 1,178 accounts over their alleged links with Khalistan sympathisers or Pakistan links.

The latest direction comes days after the Centre asked it to block 250 accounts spreading misinformation and spreading hashtags like "farmers genocide" on the popular social media platform. Twitter is yet to completely comply with the Centre's orders.

"The accounts ordered blocked are of Khalistan sympathisers, or those backed by Pakistan and operating from foreign territories… Many of the accounts are also automated bots that were used for sharing and amplifying misinformation and provocative contents on farmers protests,” said a source.

The government is of the view that the activities conducted through the accounts that are sought to be blocked have the potential to “cause threat to public order in view of the ongoing farmers protests” in parts of the country. The fresh face-off comes at a time when the government has warned Twitter that its officials may land a jail term of up to seven years and the company slapped with a penalty over its refusal to comply with the orders.

The government warned Twitter that official may invite a jail term of up to seven years if it refuses to comply with the order.

“Twitter is an intermediary and they are obliged to obey directions of the government. Refusal to do so will invite penal action,” the IT ministry said in a notice on February 1.

“Incitement to genocide is not freedom of speech; it is a threat to law and order. Delhi had witnessed violence on Republic Day,” the government said.

The government’s order also comes a few days after Twitter’s global CEO Jack Dorsey liked tweets, supporting the farmers’ protests.