Blocking content on site: Twitter challenges Indian orders

Twitter is challenging the Indian government's orders to block content on its social media site in court, local media reported yesterday citing legal documents. The suit is the latest showdown between Twitter and Indian authorities, which have been accused of muzzling criticism both on and offline. In the case filed with a court in Bangalore, the social media giant alleged that the basis on which multiple accounts and content flagged by the government was either "overbroad and arbitrary" and "disproportionate", the Indian Express daily reported. The social media giant submitted to the Karnataka state High Court that the ministry had failed to prove how some of the content it wanted taken down violated IT rules, the newspaper quoted sources as saying. Last week Twitter confirmed that India had directed it to locally censor accounts and dozens of posts, including some talking about declining internet freedom in the world's biggest democracy.