JOIN USCentre issues final notice to Twitter over IT rules compliance
India on Saturday issued “one last notice” to Twitter to immediately comply with the new rules for digital media companies, failing which it would be liable for the content posted by its users.
The notice to Twitter came after the social networking company failed to appoint a compliance officer and a nodal officer as required under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
“Twitter Inc. is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the Rules, failing which the exemption from liability available under section 79 of the IT Act, 2000 shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in the notice.
However, the ministry did not set any deadline for Twitter to comply by the rules.
He said that the ministry had sent letters to Twitter on May 26 and May 28 regarding compliance to the IT rules and the responses it received neither address the clarifications sought nor indicate full compliance with the rules.
“Leave alone proactively creating such a mechanism, Twitter Inc is in the inglorious bracket of refusing to do so even when mandated by law,” the ministry said in its notice to the company.
“The refusal to comply demonstrates Twitter’s lack of commitment to efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform,” the ministry said.
It pointed out that the Resident Grievance Officer and Nodal Contact Person nominated by the company was not an employee of Twitter as prescribed in the Rules and the office address mentioned was that of a law firm in India.
“Despite being operational in India for more than a decade, it is beyond belief that Twitter Inc has doggedly refused to create mechanism that will enable the people of India to resolve their issues on the platform in a timely and transparent manner and through fair processes, by India based, clearly identified resources,” the ministry said.
The ministry said the people of India, who use the Twitter platform, deserve and demand fair mechanisms to address their grievances and resolve their disputes.
“Users who are abused on the platform or are harassed or are subject to defamation or sexual abuse or become victims or a whole range of other abusive content must get redressal mechanism that the same people of India have created through the due process of law,” the ministry said.