X Withholds Political Posts in India on Election Commission's Orders

Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has withheld some political posts in India containing political speech from elected politicians, political parties, and candidates for office. The action was taken after the country's Election Commission ordered the takedown of these posts.

X expressed disagreement with the Election Commission's orders, stating that it believes freedom of expression should extend to these posts and political speech in general. However, the platform complied with the directives for the remainder of the election period. X has notified the affected users and published the takedown orders in the interest of transparency, calling on the Election Commission to publish all of its takedown orders going forward.

The posts that were taken down largely pertained to content that allegedly violated the Model Code of Conduct, according to X. They were made from the handles of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, and the party handles of Aam Aadmi Party and YSR Congress Party.

Why this matters: The incident highlights the tension between content moderation and freedom of expression on social media platforms during sensitive electoral periods. It also highlights the critical role these platforms play in shaping political narratives and the importance of regulatory measures to prevent misuse.

India is set to begin the world's largest electoral exercise on April 19, with nearly a billion eligible voters. The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. This is not the first time X has sparred with Indian authorities over content moderation. The platform had previously challenged the government's takedown orders in court, citing concerns over freedom of speech.

Key Takeaways

• X (Twitter) withheld some political posts in India at Election Commission's request.
• X disagreed but complied, notifying users and calling for transparency on takedowns.
• Posts taken down allegedly violated Model Code of Conduct, including from politicians.
• Incident highlights tension between content moderation and free speech during elections.
• India's Lok Sabha elections begin April 19, X has previously challenged takedown orders.