Twitter CEO Explains Why Censoring Tweets is Transparency

New policy will allow local governments to ban tweet they deem damaging

Twitter isn't just for telling the world how much you love Beyoncé. In some countries the social media app has lead to the turning over of presidents, Arab spring and even the Occupy movement here.

Now image if those tweets were banned.

That is what Twitter is voluntarily doing to appease local governments that want to suppress freedom of speech.

Reuters reports:

Twitter had said last week it would begin restricting Tweets in specific countries, renewing questions about how the social media platform will handle issues of free speech as it rapidly expands its global user base.

"There's been no change in our stance ... in respect to content on Twitter," Costolo said at the "Dive Into Media" conference hosted by the website All Things D, which is owned by News Corp, the Journal reported.

Costolo said Twitter would only block Tweets locally at a government's request and would leave the Tweet up for the rest of the world. In place of the pulled Tweet would be a message that the content was removed at the request of the local government, the Journal said.

Costolo said the policy is not meant as a means for the company to get into countries where it currently does not operate, such as China or Iran.

"I don't think the current environment in China is one in which we can operate," he added.