The Information Technology Act, of 2000, the nation’s IT law, gives the government the power to impose restrictions on public access to material for a variety of reasons, including preserving national security.
Recently, Twitter faced backlash in India after allegations made by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of the company, that the Indian government had threatened to shut down the social media platform if it did not comply with directives to limit accounts expressing dissent on various pressing issues. The Karnataka High Court in India further emphasized that Twitter, being a foreign company, does not have the right to claim freedom of speech and personal freedom granted to Indian citizens by the Constitution.
A lawyer for Twitter told Reuters that India’s Karnataka High Court on Friday rejected Twitter’s appeal against the federal government’s orders to restrict tweets and accounts and levied a punishment of 5 million rupees ($60,943.65).
The choice was made just weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration referred to Jack Dorsey’s claim that India threatened to shut down Twitter in the nation if it didn’t comply with orders to restrict accounts critical of how farmer protests were handled in 2021 as a “lie.” Dorsey is the former CEO and co-founder of Twitter.
According to India’s Information Technology Act of 2000, the government has the authority to restrict public access to content for reasons such as safeguarding national security. Twitter was served multiple notices for violating guidelines and for delayed compliance with the country’s rules, as stated by India’s Deputy Minister for Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Twitter.
The authorities directed Twitter to take action regarding its content, specifically targeting posts accused of spreading false information about farmer protests, accounts endorsing the idea of an autonomous Sikh state, and tweets criticizing the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2021, India updated its IT regulations through the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, which included provisions for the establishment of a fact-checking unit to identify online content that is fake, false, or misleading, particularly concerning the government. This move tightened the Indian government’s control over internet expression.
India’s Deputy Minister for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a tweet
India’s Deputy Minister for Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, stated in a tweet that Twitter was served notices by the court, but it failed to comply with them. However, Twitter could not be immediately reached for comment regarding the court’s verdict.
In the past, Twitter had appealed to the court to overturn certain government orders that required the removal of content from the platform.
These actions by the Indian government were prompted by directives given to Twitter to address specific content issues. This included accounts that supported the idea of an independent Sikh state, posts that were accused of spreading misinformation about farmer protests, and tweets that criticized the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.