Twitter says seeking talks with India after order to remove accounts

Twitter said on Monday it was seeking talks with India’s technology minister, days after the country asked the U.S. social media giant to take down 1,178 accounts it says are spreading misinformation about ongoing farmers’ protests.

New Delhi wrote to Twitter on Feb. 4 asking it to remove the accounts, which it said were backed by arch-rival Pakistan or operated by sympathizers of Sikh separatists, two technology ministry sources said, adding the company had yet to comply.

India’s security agencies said some of the accounts were being operated from outside the country and were sharing and amplifying misinformation and provocative content on the farmers’ protests, one of the tech ministry sources told Reuters, declining to be named as the order was not public.