Toolkit case: Government objected Twitter saying 'manipulated media', said - do not interfere in the investigation process

The Indian government objected to Twitter using the "manipulated media" tag for tweets on the toolkit to discredit efforts against Corona. According to sources, Twitter has been asked to remove the "manipulated media" tag as the matter is pending before the law enforcement agency which will determine the veracity of the investigation material and not Twitter.

Twitter has been asked not to interfere in the investigation process. Twitter cannot give its verdict until the matter is being investigated. Such content moderation by Twitter puts a question mark on its status as an "intermediary". Let me tell you, "Manipulated media" has flagged the tweet made by "BJP's toolkit" of all BJP leaders including BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

The electronics and IT ministry of the central government have written a strong objection letter to the Twitter global team objecting to the use of the "manipulated media" tag on some tweets made by Indian political leaders. This is in the context of a toolkit designed by the opposition leaders to weaken the efforts of the Corona epidemic and to demean the government's efforts against the epidemic.

According to sources, the ministry has said in its message sent to Twitter that one of the parties concerned has complained to the local legal agency questioning the veracity of the toolkit and it is being investigated. While the local legal agency is investigating to determine the veracity of the 'toolkit'. Twitter has unilaterally concluded the matter and arbitrarily tagged it as 'manipulated media'. Such tagging by Twitter appears to be a premeditated, preemptive and deliberate attempt to color the investigation by the local law enforcement agency. The ministry has termed such unilateral action by Twitter as an attempt to influence the fair investigation process and a clear overreach, which is completely inappropriate.

According to government sources, the Ministry of Electronics and IT has further stated that Twitter opted for one-sided conduct and designated some tweets as "manipulated". An investigation by a law enforcement agency is pending. This action not only undermines Twitter's credibility as a neutral and impartial platform for facilitating the exchange of ideas by users but also puts a question mark on Twitter's "intermediary" status. The government has asked Twitter to remove the 'manipulated media' tag which has adversely affected some tweets in recent times in the interest of fairness and equality.