Twitter is under siege in two countries that are critical for its global growth plans.
The social media giant has been ensnared in a battle with the Indian government for months over free speech and other issues, and is contending with restrictive new rules pushed by New Delhi. If that wasn't enough, even more dramatic events are unfolding thousands of miles away along Africa's Western coast.
Nigeria last week "indefinitely" blocked Twitter after the company deleted a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened a brutal clampdown on unrest in Africa's most populous nation. The Nigerian government also ordered federal prosecutors to arrest users of the app.
The restrictions in India and the ban in Nigeria are troublesome for Twitter. While the company does not break down user data for these countries, independent research suggests India is among its top five markets. Asia's third-largest economy — with its 700 million internet users and many more yet to come online — is also Twitter's top growth market. Meanwhile, nearly 20% of Nigeria's population of 200 million have Twitter accounts, according to NOI Polls.
