Just like Facebook and YouTube did before, Twitter has now announced that it will appoint a representative in Turkey.
The microblogging site thus complies with a controversial law that allows it to be obliged by the government to delete messages.
“For Twitter to remain available to all users in Turkey, we have decided to establish a legal entity there,” the social network announced.
The decision comes after a few months of showdown with the Turkish government. It banned advertisements on Twitter in January. This increased the pressure on the company to appoint a representative and to comply with the new law. This gives Turkish authorities the option to have messages on social media removed.
The law came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on ‘create order’ in the social networks to fight against cyberbullying. But critics say the law opens the door to censorship.
Especially since the coup attempt in 2016 and subsequent repression, the Turkish authorities actively look for critical voices on social networks. Many trials have also been started for ‘insulting the head of state’ or ‘terrorist propaganda’ based on tweets.
