Ravi Shankar Prasad turns up warmth on Twitter: it’s defiant, chooses to not comply with guidelines

The public spat between Twitter India and the federal government intensified Wednesday after Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad mentioned the microblogging platform had “deliberately chosen” to not adjust to new middleman tips regardless of being given “multiple opportunities”. His remarks got here after Ministry officers advised that Twitter India now not loved authorized safety.
Referring to an incident in UP — Twitter and Twitter India have been named as accused in an FIR in Ghaziabad for his or her alleged failure to comprise and cease a video and tweets with potential to create communal disharmony — Prasad criticised Twitter for what he known as its “arbitrariness in fighting fake news” and “its inconsistency in fighting misinformation”.
In a press release, first shared on homegrown microblogging website Koo and an hour in a while Twitter, the Minister warned that “if any foreign entity believes that they can portray itself as the flag bearer of free speech in India to excuse itself from complying with the laws of the land, such attempts are misplaced”.
Twitter didn’t reply to emails searching for its response on Prasad’s assertion.
Sources within the Ministry had instructed The Indian Express Tuesday that Twitter had didn’t appoint executives within the roles of resident grievance officer, nodal officer and chief compliance officer as per norms of the federal government.
The safety accorded to Twitter as a 3rd occasion middleman beneath Section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) Act would due to this fact lapse, officers mentioned, including that the micro-blogging platform would now be thought-about a “media publisher” and never an “intermediary” for all authorized functions.
Section 79 of the IT Act says that any middleman shall not be held legally or in any other case responsible for any third occasion data, information, or communication hyperlink made out there or hosted on its platform.

In his assertion, Prasad mentioned: “There are numerous queries arising as to whether Twitter is entitled to safe harbour provision. However, the simple fact of the matter is that Twitter has failed to comply with the Intermediary Guidelines that came into effect from the 26th of May. Further, Twitter was given multiple opportunities to comply with the same, however it has deliberately chosen the path of noncompliance.”

“The culture of India varies like its large geography. In certain scenarios, with the amplification of social media, even a small spark can cause a fire, especially with the menace of fake news. This was one of the objectives of bringing the Intermediary Guidelines.”
“It is astounding that Twitter which portrays itself as the flag bearer of free speech, chooses the path of deliberate defiance when it comes to the Intermediary Guidelines,” he mentioned.
“Further, what is perplexing is that Twitter fails to address the grievances of users by refusing to set up process as mandated by the law of the land. Additionally, it chooses a policy of flagging manipulates media, only when it suits, its likes and dislikes.”
“What happened in UP was illustrative of Twitter’s arbitrariness in fighting fake news. While Twitter has been over enthusiastic about its fact checking mechanism, its failure to act in multiple cases like UP is perplexing & indicates its inconsistency in fighting misinformation,” he mentioned.
“Indian companies be it pharma, IT or others that go to do business in USA or in other foreign countries, voluntarily follow the local laws. Then why are platforms like Twitter showing reluctance in following Indian laws designed to give voice to the victims of abuse and misuse?” Prasad mentioned.
“The rule of law is the bedrock of Indian society. India’s commitment to the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech was yet again reaffirmed at the G7 summit,” he mentioned.
Guidelines issued in February required all important social media intermediaries to designate Indian resident executives as resident grievance officer, nodal contact individual and chief compliance officer by May 26.
And on May 26, the Ministry wrote to those intermediaries, asking them to furnish particulars of all appointments made as quickly as doable. Over the subsequent week, all main social media intermediaries complied.

Though Twitter additionally introduced that it had appointed personnel to the posts of resident grievance officer and nodal contact individual, Ministry officers had indicated that since these appointments weren’t in keeping with norms laid down by the federal government, they might not be accepted.
In its assertion Tuesday, Twitter reiterated that it had stored the Ministry “apprised of the progress at every step of the process” and had retained a chief compliance officer whose particulars it will share with the Ministry.