New Delhi: Expressing disapproval at Twitter’s incorrect geotagging of Jammu and Kashmir as part of China in a live broadcast, India warned the tech giant that to “disrespect sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected by the maps, is totally unacceptable and also unlawful”, reported Hindustan Times (HT).
Blaming a technical snag for the error, Twitter acknowledged the issue, saying, “We became aware of this technical issue on Sunday, and understand and respect the sensitivities around it. Teams have worked swiftly to investigate and resolve the concerned geotag issue.
The blunder came to light on Sunday when Nitin Gokhale, national security analyst, discovered in a live broadcast that the location tag for Hall of Fame — a war memorial in Leh, was marked as ‘Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Republic of China.
See this Twitter! When I put Hall of Fame Leh as the location, see what it shows. I tested it deliberately.@Twitter @TwitterIndia @TwitterSupport pic.twitter.com/sGMbmjJ60c
— Nitin A. Gokhale (@nitingokhale) October 18, 2020
According to tweets by ANI , in a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Secretary of the Electronics and IT Department Ajay Sawhney said that such attempts not only bring disrepute to Twitter but also raise question on its neutrality, fairness.
Electronics & IT Ministry Secretary, Ajay Sawhney, writes to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey conveying strong disapproval of Govt over misrepresentation of India’s map
It mentions that such attempts not only bring disrepute to Twitter but also raise questions on its neutrality, fairness https://t.co/G5e0iVwmTf
— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2020
“We respect the sensitivities involved and have duly acknowledged the letter,” said a Twitter spokesperson in response to the letter, adding that Twitter was committed to working with the government of India.
