Warning to Twitter aimed at 'securing internet' in India: Govt sources

Twitter being warned "one last" time to comply with government directives was "aimed at ensuring free and secured internet for everyone in the country", said sources in the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) on Wednesday.

The sources said Twitter has repeatedly violated directions issued under the IT Act. Email queries sent to Twitter India remained unanswered until the time of press.

The ministry, on June 27, issued a notice to Twitter’s Chief Compliance Officer and gave the social media company "one last opportunity" to act by July 4 on multiple content take-down notices. Failure to comply with the notice may lead to loss of immunity as an intermediary under the IT Act 2000, the ministry warned.

A ministry official said the company had failed to act on multiple non-compliance notices. Details about content Twitter was asked to be taken down remain unclear.

The IT Act defines an intermediary as any entity which receives, stores, or transmits data on behalf of others or provides any service related to that data. Under section 79 of the IT Act, the intermediaries are not liable for third-party information, data, or communication links hosted by them.

The ministry’s comments came days after it expressed a need for new accountability standards for big-tech platforms. On June 6, at the time of releasing new amendments, the MeitY said the IT Act should “ensure that the Constitutional rights of Indian citizens are not contravened by any Big-tech Platform.”

As per section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the government reserves the power to issue directions for blocking public access to any information under specific circumstances. It can ask to take down any digital information in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, and defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order.

Sources said that the ministry holds the view that Indian citizens and the authorities encourage every intermediary platform, given that they follow the directives of Indian law.