India has instructed Twitter it has one final probability to adjust to new IT guidelines, or face “unintended penalties” according to a copy of an official letter seen by Reuters. The new rules – which were announced in February and which became effective at the end of last month – are aimed at regulating content on social media and making firms such as Facebook, its WhatsApp messenger and Twitter more accountable to legal requests. They also require big social media companies to set up grievance redressal mechanisms and appoint new executives to coordinate with law enforcement.
India’s technology ministry wrote to Twitter on May 26 and May 28 on the new rules, but the company’s responses “neither address the clarifications sought by this ministry nor indicate full compliance with the Rules,” mentioned the June 5 letter from the know-how ministry to Twitter deputy normal counsel Jim Baker. The letter, a replica of which was seen by Reuters, mentioned that amongst different issues, Twitter had but to inform the ministry about its chief compliance officer, and its grievance officer and nodal contact particular person weren’t staff as mandated by guidelines.
It mentioned such non-compliance would lead to “unintended penalties” including the possibility that Twitter could be held accountable for content posted on it, an exemption it currently largely enjoys. It added, “However, as gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the Rules.” The know-how ministry didn’t reply to a request for remark. Twitter declined to remark.
The new IT guidelines have spurred authorized battles, together with a lawsuit filed by Facebook-owned WhatsApp that accuses the federal government of exceeding its authorized powers by enacting guidelines that may pressure the messaging app to break end-to-end encryption.
Read all of the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News right here
