Citing non-compliance of New Intermediary Guideline Rules by Twitter, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Saturday despatched a remaining communication to Twitter asking them to comply instantly with the necessities of the brand new pointers failing which resultant penalties as enjoined within the regulation shall comply with.
A letter issued by the Ministry to the social media platform said that the New Intermediary Guideline Rules have turn into efficient from May 26. After expiry of three-month interval given to social media intermediaries for compliance, Twitter is but to appoint India primarily based Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person, and Grievance Officer.
“The provisions for significant social media intermediaries under the Rules have already come into force on May 26 2021 and it has been more than a week but Twitter has refused to comply with the provisions of these Rules. Needless to state, such noncompliance will lead to unintended consequences including Twitter losing exemption from liability as intermediary available under section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. This has clearly been provided under rule 7 of the aforesaid Rules,” said the letter.
It additional stated, “This is with reference to this Ministry’s letters dated May 26 2021 and May 28 2021 regarding compliance with the subject Rules and your corresponding responses dated May 28 2021 and June 2 2021. MeitY is dismayed to note that your responses to the Ministry’s letters neither address the clarifications sought by this Ministry nor indicate full compliance with the Rules.”
It additionally said that it’s clear from the responses of Twitter that until date has not knowledgeable concerning the particulars of the Chief Compliance Officer as required beneath the Rules, added that the Resident Grievance Officer and Nodal Contact Person nominated by the social media platform shouldn’t be an worker of Twitter Inc. in India as prescribed within the Rules.
It additionally stated that the workplace deal with of Twitter as talked about by it’s that of a regulation agency in India, which can be not as per the Rules.
The Ministry in its letter to Twitter said that the refusal to comply demonstrates the social media platform’s lack of dedication and efforts in the direction of offering a protected expertise for the individuals of India on its platform.
The world’s largest democracy has been among the many first nations on this planet, outdoors the mum or dad nation of Twitter Inc., to enthusiastically undertake the Twitter platform, stated the Ministry, including that regardless of being operational in India for greater than a decade, it’s past perception that Twitter Inc. has doggedly refused to create mechanisms that can allow the individuals of India to resolve their points on the platform in a well timed and clear method and thru truthful processes, by India primarily based, clearly recognized assets.
Leave alone proactively creating such a mechanism, Twitter Inc. is within the inglorious bracket of refusing to achieve this even when mandated by regulation, it added.
The ministry additional said that the individuals of India, who use the Twitter platform, deserve and demand a good mechanism to deal with their grievances and resolve their disputes. Users who’re abused on the platform or are harassed or are topic to defamation or sexual abuse or turn into victims or a complete vary of different abusive content material should get a redressal mechanism that the identical individuals of India have created by way of a due means of regulation, it stated.
“Though with effect from May 26 2021, in view of Twitter Inc’s non-compliance with the Rules as noted above, consequences follow. However, as gesture of goodwill, 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’s letter to Twitter concluded.
This comes amid withdrawal of verified blue badge by Twitter from the verified accounts of Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and several other Sangh functionaries.
Twitter had eliminated the blue badge from the non-public Twitter deal with of Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu, @MVenkaiahNaidu. Although, the official deal with of the Vice President of India @VPSecretariat continues to have the blue badge. Later as we speak, issuing clarification that for the reason that account was inactive since July 2020, as per Twitter verification coverage, the social media platform might take away the blue verified badge and verified standing if the account turns into inactive or is incomplete, the badge was restored.
