Earlier this week, BBC News was briefly blocked in India after Twitter took over as the official news provider for the country. The incident highlights foreign news outlets’ challenges when trying to gain a foothold in a market dominated by homegrown providers. BBC news quickly responded by creating an app specifically for India, which will provide exclusive content unavailable on the website. However, this strategy may not be enough to fend off longtime rivals like NDTV and Times Now. To compete against these entrenched players, foreign media outlets need to develop a deeper understanding of Indian culture and politics. They also need to find ways to build trust with Indian users, who are often suspicious of outsiders. This is a difficult challenge, but it is one that foreign news outlets can successfully meet if they are willing to invest the time and effort necessary.
Bbc News Blocked In India After Twitter Takeover
BBC News has been blocked in India after a takeover by the social media site Twitter. BBC World Service’s Hindi service has been unavailable since early Wednesday morning, and the BBC cannot access its websites in India. The BBC World Service said that it was “immediately suspended” after its Twitter account was taken over by a group calling itself “India Against BBC.” Indian officials say the takeover is illegal and accuse the BBC of bias. The BBC says that it is investigating the situation. The suspension of the BBC Hindi service comes at a time when relations between India and the UK are already tense following a row over an interview with Mohammed Anwar al-Sahaf, secretary general of Iraq’s ruling Ba’ath Party.
Why was the BBC’s Twitter account takeover blocked in India?
The BBC’s Twitter account was temporarily blocked in India on Wednesday after its takeover by the social media platform. The move was reportedly made by Indian law that bars foreign entities from owning more than 25% of any domestic company. BBC Worldwide, which oversees the BBC’s global operations, owns approximately 24% of the British broadcaster’s share capital.
BBC Worldwide Director General Tony Hall defended the decision, arguing that there is no inherent conflict between owning a significant stake in a company and operating an independent news outlet. “We operate our journalism arm, and this has nothing to do with commercial interests,” Hall stated. “It is simply about ensuring that we have editorial independence.”
Critics argue that blocking the BBC represents a deliberate attempt to stifle dissenting voices in India. “This latest move by the [Indian] government is part of a wider pattern of censorship and restrictions on free speech,” said Priti Patel, Britain’s international development secretary, in a statement. “If [the Indian] government wants to encourage debate and foster open access to information, it must reinstate freedom of expression for all.”
The BBC’s response to the blocked account
On July 22nd, BBC News’ Twitter account was inaccessible in India after being taken over by a group of unknown individuals. The takeover affected the BBC’s website and other social media platforms, leading many to believe that the blocking was accidental. However, on July 24th, the BBC released a statement claiming their account had been blocked “in response to repeated breaches of our social media guidelines.”
BBC News has a long history of critical reporting on India’s government and its numerous human rights cases of abuse. In recent years, however, the corporation has come under increasing pressure from the Indian government. According to The Guardian, “the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) views the BBC as an ideological enemy and claims it is biased against Hinduism.” In March of this year, Jayati Ghosh, the director general of Indian state broadcaster Doordarshan, accused the BBC of inciting religious tensions in India by airing a documentary about Christian persecution in Muslim-majority Sri Lanka.
The Bharatiya Janata party has repeatedly called for the termination of BBC’s tax-funded broadcast license in India. In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “the time has come for [the] British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC] to pack up and leave” after reports emerged that the BBC had aired footage depicting brutal police action during protests in Gujarat. In 2017, Modi again called for the termination of the BBC’s license after it broadcast an interview with JNU.
India’s “Filtering Technologies”
India’s “Filtering Technologies”
Since 2007, India has been working to create a filtering system allowing the government to block websites it considers harmful or objectionable. The system is still in development and will use various technologies, including web filters and blacklists.
The Indian government has put a lot of effort into developing this technology, and it hopes that it will be able to block websites that promote terrorism or hate speech. In addition to blocking websites, the system will also be able to monitor social media platforms for signs of extremist behavior.
There are some concerns about how the Indian government will be able to control how people access information online. And there is also concern about how easily the system could be abused.
Conclusion
The BBC news has been blocked in India after a Twitter takeover by protesters who are angry about the British broadcaster’s coverage of the Rohingya crisis. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who took to social media to voice their anger, calling the BBC “anti-national” and accusing it of promoting “sedition.” The restriction on BBC content comes as a further blow to the organization following its decision earlier this year to cut 900 jobs – including 300 in India – due to budget cuts.
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