India’s government goes after Twitter and its ilk
But it is unclear whether it is protecting citizens or its own interests
WITH HIS 68.7m Twitter followers Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, nestles comfortably between the American celebrities Selena Gomez and Kim Kardashian in rankings of popularity on the service. This is not by accident. Mr Modi and his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) have been early and avid exploiters of social media. Whether to lure new members to join the 180m who already make it the world’s biggest political party, to hustle donations or amplify attacks on its critics, the BJP has relied on internet platforms to reshape India’s politics.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Shooting the messenger”
Asia June 5th 2021
From the June 5th 2021 edition
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