Twitter blocks accounts, tweets on gov’t order

Twitter on Monday temporarily blocked scores of accounts and tweets in India at the government's request, including those of a prominent news magazine and farmers staging mass protests in the capital.

An IT ministry source told AFP the government had directed the social media giant to act against about 250 Twitter accounts and tweets that posed a "grave threat to public order". The accounts were blocked on Monday afternoon but were accessible again hours later.

Tens of thousands of farmers have been protesting since November 26 in camps on the outskirts of New Delhi against the deregulation of India's agriculture sector.

One rally last week turned into a deadly rampage. Since then, police have detained dozens of farmers and a journalist who writes for Caravan magazine.

Caravan, farmer activists, some opposition leaders, an actor and an economist were among those whose Twitter accounts were blocked. A Twitter spokeswoman said "it may be necessary to withhold access to certain content in a particular country from time to time" if "a properly scoped" request is made.