In a recent interview, Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, revealed that the social media platform had faced threats of shutdown in India, Nigeria, and Turkey. The governments of these countries had issued orders demanding Twitter to restrict certain accounts, with India specifically targeting journalists and protesters who used the platform to voice their opinions.

Dorsey explained that India had made numerous requests to Twitter concerning the farmers’ protest and critical journalists. The situation escalated to the point where the Indian government threatened to shut down Twitter in the country, conducted raids on employees’ homes, and even threatened to close Twitter’s offices. This was particularly concerning given that India is a significant market for the platform and is considered a democratic nation.

Similarly, Turkey had also exerted significant pressure on Twitter, making multiple requests and threatening to shut down the platform. Twitter had to engage in legal battles in Turkish courts to defend itself, although they often emerged victorious. In Nigeria, the situation was so dire that Twitter couldn’t risk placing its employees on the ground due to potential government actions.

Nigeria had previously suspended Twitter in response to the removal of a post by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, which contained threats against regional secessionists. The ban was eventually lifted after Twitter agreed to establish a local office and make other concessions to the authorities.

These incidents have raised concerns among advocacy groups about the state of human rights in these countries, highlighting the need for protection of free expression and online freedoms.