Social media platform Twitter is learnt to have approached the government searching for more time to comply with the new IT rules.
According to sources, the micro-blogging web site has mentioned that it intends to comply with the rules however wants more time due to the pandemic scenario in India.
“Twitter has written to Meity seeking more time to comply with the IT rules. It has expressed its intent to comply with the rules but has been unable to do so because of the pandemic,” a supply advised PTI.
The response from Twitter comes after the government, final week, issued a strongly-worded ultimate discover to the corporate relating to its non-compliance with the new rules.
When contacted, a Twitter spokesperson mentioned Twitter has been and stays deeply dedicated to India, and serving the important public dialog happening on the service.
“We have assured the Government of India that Twitter is making every effort to comply with the new guidelines, and an overview on our progress has been duly shared. We will continue our constructive dialogue with the Indian Government,” the spokesperson mentioned.
In its discover, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had mentioned that Twitter’s refusal to comply with the rules demonstrated the micro-blogging web site’s “lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform”.
“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 had mentioned.
The new IT rules for social media corporations that got here into impact final month mandate giant platforms like Facebook and Twitter to undertake larger due diligence and make these digital platforms more accountable and chargeable for the content material hosted by them.
The rules additionally require important social media intermediaries — offering companies primarily within the nature of messaging — to allow identification of the “first originator” of the knowledge that undermines the sovereignty of India, the safety of the state, or public order.
Under the rules, important social media intermediaries — these with over 50 lakh customers — are required to appoint a grievance officer, a nodal officer and a chief compliance officer. These personnel have to be residents in India.
Further, social media corporations may have to take down flagged content material inside 36 hours, and take away inside 24 hours content material that’s flagged for points comparable to nudity and pornography.
As per the ministry’s discover, although with impact from May 26, 2021, “consequences follow” given Twitter’s non-compliance with rules, “as a gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available? shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India”.
However, the discover didn’t point out a few particular date for the micro-blogging web site to comply with the rules.
Non-compliance with the rules would end in these platforms shedding the middleman standing that gives them immunity from liabilities over any third-party information hosted by them. In different phrases, they may very well be accountable for prison motion in case of complaints.
According to the central government, the new rules are designed to stop abuse and misuse of platforms and provide customers a sturdy discussion board for grievance redressal.
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