New Delhi: BJP-led Modi’s government made the most requests to Twitter seeking information about accounts, the social media company’s transparency report for July 2020 to December 2020 said on Thursday.
Twitter said that it was the first time since it started publishing the report in 2012 that the United States was not at the top of the list. Japan (17%) and France (14%) followed India and the US in seeking information about accounts from Twitter, according to the report.
“India submitted the most government information requests during this reporting period, accounting for 25% of the global volume, and 15% of the global accounts specified,” the report said. “The second highest volume of requests originated from the United States, comprising 22% of global information requests and 60% of the global accounts specified.”
It said that Twitter received 1,096, or 46%, more routine requests from India as compared to January 2020 to July 2020 period. Routine requests are legal notices from the government that the social media company must adhere to and submit information of account concerned.
In the July-December 2020 period, India sent 3,463 routine requests and 152 emergency requests to Twitter. The latter are also legal requests seeking information about accounts. However, Twitter can choose to disclose information if it believes that there is a threat involving deaths or serious injury to a person and that the details can help avert the danger. The number of emergency requests dropped to 152 as compared to 246 from the earlier period.
Twitter said that it did not disclose information in response to 70% of global government information requests, an increase of 7% compared to the last reporting period. Scroll.In
