NEW DELHI – It started in February with a tweet from pop star Rihanna that sparked widespread condemnation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the farmers’ protests near the capital, damaging an already troubled relationship between the government and Twitter.

In an attempt to contain the backlash, officials hit Twitter with injunctions to block hundreds of tweets critical of the government. Twitter has complied with some and resisted others.

Relations between Twitter and Modi’s government have since deteriorated.

At the heart of the deadlock is a sweeping internet law that places digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook under direct government surveillance. Officials say the rules are needed to crack down on disinformation and hate speech and to give users more power to report objectionable content.

Critics of the law fear it could lead to outright censorship in a country where digital freedoms have been shrinking since Modi took office in 2014.

Police raided Twitter offices and accused its Indian leader, Manish Maheshwari, of spreading “community hatred” and “hurting Indian feelings.” Last week, Maheshwari refused to submit to questioning unless the police promise not to arrest him.

On Wednesday, the company released a transparency report showing India had submitted most government information requests – legal requests for account information – to Twitter. It accounted for a quarter of global demands in July-December last year.

It was the first time since Twitter began publishing the report in 2012 that the United States had been moved as the “world’s top claimant,” he added.

“India’s plans for the internet are like those of a closed ecosystem like China,” said Raheel Khursheed, co-founder of Laminar Global and former head of politics, policy and government of Twitter India. “The Twitter case is the basis of a touchstone for how the future of the internet will be shaped in India.”

Tech companies face similar challenges in many countries. China has aggressively tightened controls on access to its market of 1.4 billion people, which is already largely sequestered by the Communist Party’s great firewall and US trade and technology sanctions.

India is another heavyweight, with 900 million users expected by 2025.

“Any internet company knows that India is probably the largest market in terms of scale. For this reason, the option to leave India is like the button it would press if it did not have any left.” said technical analyst Jayanth Kolla.

The new rules, in the works for years and announced in February, apply to social media companies, streaming platforms and digital news publishers. They make it easier for the government to order social media platforms with more than 5 million users to remove content deemed illegal.

If a department reports content as illegal or harmful, it must be removed within 36 hours. Failure to comply could lead to criminal prosecution. And individuals can now ask companies to remove equipment.

Tech companies also need to assign staff to respond to user complaints, respond to government requests, and ensure overall compliance.

Twitter missed a three-month deadline in May, drawing a strong rebuke from Delhi’s High Court. Last week, after months of bargaining with the government, the government appointed the three officers as needed.

“Twitter continues to do everything possible to comply with the new 2021 IT rules. We have kept the Indian government informed of progress every step of the way,” the company said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Apar Gupta, executive director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, said he was concerned that the rules would lead to many cases against Internet platforms and deter people from using them freely, leading to self-censorship. Many other critics claim that Modi’s Hindu nationalist government is imposing what they call a climate of “digital authoritarianism.”

“If it becomes easier to remove user content, it will cool down online speech,” Gupta said.

The government insists that the rules will benefit and empower Indians.

“Social media users can criticize Narendra Modi, they can criticize government policy and ask questions. I have to say it right away… But a private company headquartered in America should refrain from lecturing us on democracy “when it denies its users the right to redress,” former IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told The Hindu newspaper last month.

FILE – In this file photo from Monday, December 14, 2020, a farmer protester rests on his tractor-trailer blocking a highway with other farmers at the Delhi-Haryana border, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. Relations between Twitter and Modi’s government have deteriorated since a tweet from pop star Rihanna in February sparked widespread condemnation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of massive farmer protests near the capital. At the heart of the deadlock is a sweeping internet law that places digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook under direct government surveillance. Critics of the law fear it could lead to outright censorship in a country where digital freedoms have been shrinking since Modi took office in 2014 (AP Photo / Manish Swarup, File)

FILE – In this file photo from September 27, 2015, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, right, kisses Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook in Menlo Park, Calif. like Twitter and Facebook under direct government surveillance are needed to crack down on disinformation and hate speech and to give users more power to report objectionable content. Critics of the law fear it could lead to outright censorship in a country where digital freedoms have been curtailed since Modi came to power in 2014, with many calling it “digital authoritarianism.” the government, claiming that breaking the encryption, which continues for now, “would seriously undermine the privacy of billions of people who communicate digitally.” (AP Photo / Jeff Chiu, on file)

news publishers. The new rules make it easier for the government to order social media platforms with more than 5 million users to remove content deemed illegal. Critics say Modi’s Hindu nationalist government is imposing what they call a climate of “digital authoritarianism.”” (AP Photo / Saurabh Das, file)” style=”width: 100%”/>

FILE – In this August 28, 2014 file photo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the launch of a campaign to open millions of bank accounts for poor Indians in New Delhi, India. India’s new social media regulations are at the heart of a deadlock that places digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook under direct government scrutiny. The new rules, in the works for years and announced in February 2021, apply to social media companies, streaming platforms and digital news publishers. The new rules make it easier for the government to order social media platforms with more than 5 million users to remove content deemed illegal. Critics say Modi’s Hindu nationalist government is imposing what they call a climate of “digital authoritarianism.” (AP Photo / Saurabh Das, File)