Twitter’s recent decision to block certain content in Turkey just before the presidential election has been criticized by Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia. According to a report by the BBC, Wales stated that his organization had spent two and a half years in court to prevent similar claims made by Turkey in the past.
Wales believes that it is crucial for the technology sector to come together to defend free access to information. He added that Twitter should have stood its ground against censorship attempts made by governments around the world.
“We’ve been blocked in various places around the world at different times, we’ve never given in to censorship and we never will,” said Wales on the BBC’s Tech Life podcast. “If governments around the world believe that to gain political advantage they can control what their political opponents say online or prevent them from speaking online, then they will try.”
He also expressed concerns that Twitter’s actions would put pressure on other websites to comply with future lawsuits. “I think people in the industry should really stand up and say no forcefully, actually an open internet, a free internet, the free exchange of ideas and knowledge is really crucial,” he added.
Elon Musk, owner of Twitterhas described himself as a “free speech absolutist” and has spoken at length about his commitment to giving everyone a platform to express their opinion.
Twitter claimed that it was under threat from Turkey which had threatened to block the entire site if certain content was not removed. The company identified four accounts and 409 tweets in a court order which it later blocked but continued to object in court. However, Wales believes that Twitter should have refused this request altogether.
The Turkish government told Twitter that it was the only social network that had not complied with its court orders. However, this claim has not been verified by any independent sources.
While there are differences between Wikipedia and Twitter regarding their services’ nature and complexity of moderation processes involved; both platforms share common ground when it comes to the importance of free access to information. It is vital for the tech industry to stand together and defend an open internet that allows the free exchange of ideas and knowledge.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Twitter’s recent decision in Turkey has raised concerns about censorship, which could have implications globally. The incident highlights the need for companies to take a stand against such attempts by governments worldwide and protect their users’ right to freedom of speech and expression.
The pith, technology companies must work together to ensure that an open internet remains accessible to everyone, regardless of political ideology or geographical location. The fight for free access to information is ongoing, and it is up to all of us as individuals and organizations alike to do our part in defending this fundamental human right.
Source: bbc
