NOTE: Before answering the following questions, read the “Background” and watch the video under “Resources” below.

1. List the who, what, where and when of the news item.

2. a) Why does Twitter say it banned the tweets?
b) What do you think of this explanation?

3. What criticisms did people make that were censored by Twitter?

4. Article 19 of India’s constitution guarantees citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression.  See constitutionofindia.net.
The government is citing India’s Information Technology Act in its request to Twitter to block citizens’ rights to free speech on Twitter. Do you think Prime Minister Modi’s government is being unreasonable in calling for the censoring of critical tweets regarding its covid preparedness/response? Explain your answer.

5. In the U.S., Twitter never censored or blocked users/tweets criticizing President Donald Trump’s policies - and instead erased Trump from the public square by banning him for life, thereby preventing him from exercising his right to free speech.

Twitter did censor and block users from sharing news stories critical of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden.

Twitter also censored and/or blocked doctors and scientists who expressed analysis of covid statistics, etc. that did not completely agree with the conclusions of the CDC.

Why do you think this is so?