Twitter has raised concerns about the requirement in India’s new IT rules to make an individual (the compliance officer) criminally liable for content on the platform. It requires proactive monitoring and the blanket authority to seek information about its users.
Whilst the platform strives to comply with Indian laws, it pointed out that the new rules represent dangerous outreach that is inconsistent with open, democratic principles. Twitter’s spokesperson told India Today that it is deeply committed to the people of India.
“Our service has proven vital for the public conversation and a source of support for people during the pandemic. To keep our service available, we will strive to comply with applicable law in India. But, just as we do around the world, we will continue to be strictly guided by principles of transparency, a commitment to empowering every voice on the service, and protecting freedom of expression and privacy under the rule of law.”
Twitter India has requested the Ministry of Electronics and IT to consider a minimum of three months extension for the platform to implement the rules. “Right now, we are concerned by recent events regarding our employees in India and the potential threat to freedom of expression for the people we serve. We, alongside many in civil society in India and around the world, have concerns with regards to the use of intimidation tactics by the police in response to enforcement of our global Terms of Service, as well as with core elements of the new IT Rules,” the spokesperson said. “We plan to advocate for changes to elements of these regulations that inhibit free, open public conversation. We will continue our constructive dialogue with the Indian Government and believe it is critical to adopt a collaborative approach. It is the collective responsibility of elected officials, industry, and civil society to safeguard the interests of the public.”
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Meanwhile, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala wrote a letter to Twitter’s Lead for Legal, Policy and Trust and Safety Vijaya Gadde and its Deputy General Counsel and Vice President (Legal) Jim Baker, seeking stern action against 11 union ministers for allegedly spreading false and forged documents. He was referring to the alleged toolkit document being shared by several BJP leaders and ministers with claims that it was created by the Congress to attack the Centre over the COVID crisis.
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