Twitter India gets 'one last chance' to comply with Centre's new IT rules

MeitY's notice to Twitter came after the company's "repeated failures to act on the content take-down notices sent under Section 69 A of the IT Act"

The central government has granted Twitter "one last opportunity" to comply with the new IT rules by July 4, or the social media giant will risk losing its immunity as an intermediary, a report by The Economic Times stated. 

 

The notice by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to Twitter came after the company's "repeated failures to act on the content take-down notices sent under Section 69 A of the IT Act" as well as on "non-compliance notices issued for not taking the content down," officials aware of the development told ET.

 

Twitter failed to comply with the Centre's notices sent on June 6 and 9, the MeitY said in a fresh notice sent to the company's Chief Compliance Officer on Monday, according to ET. 

 

A senior official told ET, "Despite repeated notices and chances being given to them to act, Twitter continues to remain in violation. Therefore, appropriate action is being taken against (it)." He added, "all intermediaries that operate in India must follow the IT Rules in letter and spirit."

 

"If Twitter Inc. continues to be in violation of these Directions and therefore the IT Act, significant consequences under the IT Act shall prevail," MeitY said in its notice to the company. 

 

The MeitY had issued a similar notice to Twitter in May this year, asking the company to appoint a resident grievance officer, a resident chief compliance officer, and a nodal contact person. If Twitter fails to do so, the company will lose its immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act.