The problems keep on mounting for Twitter in India. As the microblogging platform found itself being accused of political bias by several users in India over the issue of disappearing retweets and likes, the company on Wednesday, 13 February, issued a clarification, pointing out that the problem was not just restricted to the country, but was being experienced globally.
"Some people around the world are experiencing an issue with notifications, likes, and retweets. We're working on resolving this and will follow up soon," it said in a tweet, as it apologised for the inconvenience.
Several users of the platform, including BJP leader and Minister of State Kiren Rijiju, have complained about the issue of disappearing retweets and likes in India.
Some, like BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma, have alleged that a bias against right-wing ideology is at play, calling it a "fraud" and demanding a "serious investigation". A few have gone on to claim that leaders like Rahul Gandhi and “left-wing liberals” have not been affected by the issue.
That the bug of disappearing likes and retweets is not just restricted to India, but is being felt the world over can be seen from the following tweets of users residing outside the country.
Nevertheless, the company has been embroiled in controversy in India, as it faces allegations of having a left-wing bias.
The Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology had summoned Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and other senior global executives on 11 February, but they skipped it citing "short notice". The committee has now asked Dorsey and other officials to appear before it on 25 February, the panel head Anurag Thakur had confirmed.
On 8 February, in a blog post titled 'Setting the record straight on Twitter India and impartiality', the company said:
“To be clear, we do not review, prioritise, or enforce our policies on the basis of political ideology. Every Tweet and every account is treated impartially. We apply our policies fairly and judiciously for all.”Colin Crowell, Head of Global Public Policy and Philanthropy, Twitter
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