'Comply or Face Consequences': Centre Serves Final Notice to Twitter on New IT Rules

The government on Saturday issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to “immediately” comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. “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 IT ministry said. The ministry said that though with effect from May 26, 2021, “consequences follow” given Twitter’s non-compliance with rules “however, 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one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available…shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India”. “Leave alone proactively creating such a mechanism, Twitter Inc is in the inglorious bracket of refusing to do so even when mandated by law,” the ministry said in its notice to the company. Former MyGov CEO Arvind Gupta slammed Twitter for suspending accounts based on “one-sided complaints or their own judgements of correctness.” So @twitter can– de-verify accounts based on inactivity– suspend based on one sided complaints or their own judgement of correctness,– tag as manipulated based on biased fact checkers– operate under opaque algorithmic and human biasBUT will not follow Indian laws— Arvind Gupta June 5, 2021 Twitter had recently said it was committed to India as a vital market, but criticised the new IT rules and regulations, saying they “inhibit free, open public conversation”.