Twitter ban on Kangana Ranaut: Experts see action on hate speech, but transparency is missing

Experts are looking at Twitter’s permanent ban on Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut as a sign that the social media platform might finally be cracking down on hate speech in India. But internet policy experts that indianexpress.com spoke to also stressed that more transparency was needed around these issues.

“Better late than never. Despite Government of India’s petulant attempts at censorship by forcing platforms, Twitter is finally walking the walk. Hate speech has no place on such platforms,” Mishi Choudhary, technology lawyer and online civil liberties activist told indianexpress.com.

While Apar Gupta, executive director of Internet Freedom Foundation, said he did not wish to comment on specifically Ranaut’s suspension, given the platform has not disclosed details, he added that the move, “does signal a more alert enforcement.”