On Twitter-India row, US says committed to supporting democratic values

A day after the government held a meeting Twitter officials over its request to block multiple handles that were spreading ‘misinformation’ about the farmers’ stir on the microblogging site, the United States on Wednesday said it is committed to backing democratic values across the world.

“What I would say generally, is that around the world, we are committed to supporting democratic values including freedom of expression. I think when it comes to Twitter’s policies we would have to refer you to Twitter itself,” US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The remarks come in the backdrop of the tussle between the government and Twitter over blocking of over 250 accounts. The government is believed to have handed over a list of 1,300 URLs (for accounts as well as posts) in its two orders following the violence in the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day.