Reuters reports that police in India have registered three new cases against Twitter Inc. for allegedly hurting sentiments and promoting child pornography, marking an escalation in the row between the U.S. firm and Indian authorities.
The chages include ‘treason’ after showing what the Indian government calls an ‘incorrect’ map that excludes the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir and the Buddhist enclave of Ladakh from the country. Twitter did not comment on cases related to India’s map, while the microblogging site generally allows pornographic content on its platform.
The current cases come up in addition to a public relations nightmare and a backlash from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that has in recent weeks repeatedly criticized it for not complying with a new set of I.T. rules. Twitter allegedly refuses to abide by the rules.
Unlike Nigeria, India has yet to ban Twitter. However, observers fear that that will happen and would be a massive blow to the U.S. company. The two countries have some of the largest and most vibrant Twitter users in the world. Thus, banning it would have a far-reaching impact on its market value.