“If we don’t obey local government laws, we will get shut down.”
X censored accounts in India at the order of the Modi government in February, blocking at least 120 people, according to the Guardian. And Musk’s closeness to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has centralized power as an authoritarian, is almost certainly the reason X just follows along.
“I am a fan of Modi,” Musk said in June 2023 after a meeting with the nationalist leader.
Musk has repeatedly made excuses for why he obeys censorship demands from India. To hear the billionaire tell it, his hands are simply tied.
“Twitter doesn’t have a choice but to obey local governments. If we don’t obey local government laws, we will get shut down,” Musk said last year, according to the Business Standard.
