The clash of the government and popular micro-blogging site Twitter has taken another leap as Six Twitter accounts resembling the Prime Minister’s Official account – PMOIndia are blocked by the government.
The social media have parody accounts of Prime Minister’s official account with similar names like @PM0India (O has been replaced with a zero), @PMOIndiaa and @Indian_pm. All these account are also turning out to be quite popular among the masses and youth and have huge list of followers. By Blocking these accounts government proved that it won’t spare the people who will try to mock Prime Minister’s office .
Twitter and PMO were in tiff, when the parody accounts started spreading objectionable and untrue information on the Assam riots.
Sources confirmed that “These accounts contained certain content having communal overtones and it could be dangerous,”.
PMO contacted Twitter in June to seek action against these imposter’s accounts but the social media did not took any action till date. Finally the PMO has initiated this action after going through respective clauses of information and technology act and taking relevant legal opinion.
PMO blocked these accounts by pleading Cyber Security Cell of the Department of Information and Technology, as these account can damage the authenticity and image of the PM office and can create some serious ramifications.
“The trigger for the latest move was when one of these accounts recently tweeted communally sensitive statements for inciting social strife,” said the official.
According to the Twitter policy, parody accounts are allowed. “(But) In order to avoid impersonation, an account’s profile information should make it clear that the creator of the account is not actually the same person or entity as the subject of the parody/commentary,” the policy notes.
Websites and social media are very powerful media tools and information spread like fire in such platforms, sometimes various mischievous groups use them to spread violence and insecurity. Government is totally right to raise voice against such anti-national acts, but it must not try to shut public opinion and whatever it finds embarrassing for itself.
I was PM0 follower and i din’t find any objectionable tweet.. May be the government just want to suppress the voices against them…
Again an immature act by the government. If they want to stop crimes they should focus on security rather than banning some random twitter accounts that are just for the fun purpose