Twitter Sues Indian Govt After Complying With Final Notice On Content Removal

After a final warning was sent to Twitter, the company seems to have complied with India's updated information technology rules.

A warning was sent to Twitter by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on June 27, which set a deadline of July 4 for Twitter to comply. If Twitter hadn't complied with the rules, it would have lost its intermediary status in the country.

If that had happened, Twitter would have been liable for all the comments posted on the platform. An official source told PTI that "Twitter has complied with the notice."

As of Tuesday evening, it appears that Twitter has now sued the Indian government for "abusing its power" for ordering takedown of several tweets, Reuters reported.

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Twitter's recent compliance status

Another official source was cited by PTI as saying that Twitter had earlier failed to take action on content removal requests by the government of India. On June 26, Twitter submitted a list of 80 Twitter accounts and Tweets that were blocked on the request of the government in 2021.

Also read: Indian Govt Ordered Twitter To Censor Tweets That Criticised Country's Internet Freedom

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Most of these Tweets belonged to the international advocacy group Freedom House, politicians, journalists, and supporters who had extended support to the farmers' protest. In May, the government had asked Twitter to act on content about Khalistan, and terrorism in Kashmir. In June, the government had asked Twitter to act on 60 accounts.

Also read: Twitter Is Embracing Long-Form: Upcoming 'Notes' Feature Could Redefine Platform

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It appears that Twitter has finally caved in to the pressures of Indian government. This is a thin line, for some critics, including Elon Musk (who recently acquired Twitter) feel that freedom of speech ought to be retained on the platform, while others think tackling hate speech is important to keep Twitter safe and healthy.

What do you think about striking a balance between freedom of speech and hate speech? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Press Trust of India. (2022, July 4). Twitter Said to Have Complied With Ministry of Electronics and IT¡¯s Final Notice. NDTV Gadgets 360.

Vengattil, M. (2022, July 5). Twitter pursues legal review of Indian orders to take down content. Reuters.