Fact check: Will Twitter be banned in India?

New Delhi, Feb 05: The social media is abuzz with messages that Twitter is likely to be banned in India. Some users have said that Twitter has been served notice by the government. If Twitter does not follow the regulations decided by the Government of India, the services will be banned in India within 24 hours.

It is a fact that the Government of India has issued notices to Twitter asking it to suspend or withhold accounts of some users associated with the farmers' agitation which turned violent on Republic Day.

The IT Ministry had warned the microblogging site on Wednesday to remove inflammatory content or be ready to face jail or financial penalty. While Twitter had suspended some of the accounts, it restored the same a day later.

The government however warned Twitter, following which accounts of some users were either withheld or suspended. At least three accounts-Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, Tractor2Twitter and BKU were suspended.

While it is true that the Government of India has sought action against these accounts, there is no however no mention of a ban. The government only said that if action is not taken Twitter could face penal action or financial penalty. While the Government does have the power to ban Twitter, no such decision has been taken as yet.