TECHNOCRAT MEDIA, Global
The micro-blogging platform—Twitter says governments around the world asked the company to remove citizens’ content from 196,878 accounts in the first half of 2021.
The platform discloses in a statement on its website that the figure is the highest since the company began sharing data in data, noted that the number represents an existential threat to #OpenInternet around the world.
“In the first half of 2021, Twitter received legal demands from governments to remove content from 196,878 accounts — the highest number since we began sharing this data in 2012.”
“This number represents an existential threat to the #OpenInternet around the world.”, the Twitter policy said.
Twitter noted that trust in the information being consumed every day is critical to how the world engages online.
It added that trust in information found online can be established and enhanced when companies, civil society, and regulators are transparent about the data and processes relied on and other policies developed by governments around the world should be used to elevate the core principles of the Open Internet.
“Since 2012, we have consistently published bi-annual updates, detailing our enforcement actions housed in the Twitter Transparency Center.”
Vice President of Twitter Global Public Policy and Philanthropy, Sinead Mc Sweeney said the Open Internet is facing unprecedented challenges as governments around the world increasingly attempt to intervene and remove content.
“We’re facing unprecedented challenges as governments around the world increasingly attempt to intervene and remove content. This threat to privacy and freedom of expression is a deeply worrying trend that requires our full attention. Today’s update to the Twitter Transparency Center highlights our long-standing commitment to meaningful transparency and the pressing, urgent need to defend the free, secure, and global Open Internet.”
Legal demand for removal
The company said “In terms of legal demands from government, in the six-month period covered in this report, Twitter received 43,837 legal demands to remove content, specifying 196,878 accounts. This is the largest number of accounts ever subject to removal requests in a reporting period since releasing our first transparency report in 2012.”
