NEW DELHI: Top Twitter executives in India may face arrest with the Centre making it clear that its list of accounts sought to be censured over “inflammatory content”, especially those with the hashtag of farmers’ genocide, was “non-negotiable”, and warning its patience was wearing out over the refusal of the company to follow the diktat given under Section 69A of the IT Act.
The US micro-blogging giant, which partially followed the order by taking down around half of the accounts sought to be blocked by the government, may now approach the courts as it holds ground in the defence of “right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve”.
During a meeting with Twitter executives Monique Meche and Jim Baker on Wednesday, Union IT secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney made it clear the use of the controversial hashtag was neither journalistic freedom nor freedom of expression as such “irresponsible content could provoke and inflame” the situation. He also expressed his displeasure over differential treatment by Twitter in its handling of the problems on Capitol Hill and Red Fort.
“Twitter has to follow the orders. It is not a subject matter of negotiation. It’s the law of the land and if someone has a problem with any action we have undertaken... You are free to take legal recourse,” said a government source.
The Centre feels that compliance from Twitter should be immediate. “If they do it hesitatingly or grudgingly, or after 10-12 days of our orders, it’s not really a case of compliance.”
Earlier in the day, Twitter said, “… in keeping with our principles of defending protected speech and freedom of expression, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians. To do so, we believe, would violate their fundamental right to free expression under Indian law.” Twitter’s plea for a meeting with communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was turned down and the government did not take kindly to Twitter going public.
“Upon the request of Twitter seeking a meeting with the government, Secretary Sawhney was to engage with senior management of Twitter. In this light a blog post published prior to this engagement is unusual,” the IT ministry said on Koo, a newly launched Indian social media app.
The meeting, which was initially postponed, finally took place late in the evening with the government maintaining that the company needed to act, “and immediately”, as the censured accounts had violated the law of the land, including the 257 handles that tweeted with the hashtag #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide.
Twitter is said to have blocked only 126 of these accounts. Some of the accounts mentioned by the government here included Caravan magazine (@thecaravanindia), Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Salim (@salimdotcomrade), activist Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena), Kisan Ekta Morcha (@Kisanektamorcha), and BKU Ekta Urgahan (@Bkuektaugrahan).
On the other hand, of the 1,178 handles that the government suspected to have links with Khalistani and Pakistani elements to spread misinformation and provocative content, a total of 583 have been de-activated.
But the government is not satisfied with the action and a senior official said that the option of arresting some of the company executives for not complying with the legal provisions was being considered.
Top sources in the IT Ministry accused Twitter of “making commercial and business benefit by allowing the handles of those who were spreading poisonous speech” in the name of freedom of expression.
The government told the company that any entity that operates in India “must be respectful of the democratic nature” of our policy. “We are a democracy and follow constitutional provisions and laws that have been brought in place after a thorough debate in the Parliament. We can’t have the self-created provisions of a private company take precedence over the laws of our land. We ask you to be respectful of the sensitivities of our country and not to infringe upon the legal provisions that govern life in India.”
Twitter, however, has been holding its ground thus far though adding that it will continue the negotiations with the government. “We will continue to maintain dialogue with the Indian government and respectfully engage with them. We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve. We are exploring options under Indian law — both for Twitter and for the accounts that have been impacted. We remain committed to safeguarding the health of the conversation occurring on Twitter, and strongly believe that the Tweets should flow.”
The company said that it has already taken a range of enforcement actions — including permanent suspension in certain cases — against more than 500 accounts escalated by the IT Ministry. “Separately, today, we have withheld a portion of the accounts identified in the blocking orders under our Country Withheld Content policy within India only. These accounts continue to be available outside of India.”
The company further said that beginning January 26 (the day when farmers indulged in violence in the national capital), its global team provided 24/7 coverage and took enforcement action judiciously and impartially on content, trends, tweets, and accounts that were in violation of the ‘Twitter Rules’. “We took action on hundreds of accounts that violated the Twitter Rules, particularly inciting violence, abuse, wishes of harm, and threats that could trigger the risk of offline harm.”
The US micro-blogging giant, which partially followed the order by taking down around half of the accounts sought to be blocked by the government, may now approach the courts as it holds ground in the defence of “right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve”.
During a meeting with Twitter executives Monique Meche and Jim Baker on Wednesday, Union IT secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney made it clear the use of the controversial hashtag was neither journalistic freedom nor freedom of expression as such “irresponsible content could provoke and inflame” the situation. He also expressed his displeasure over differential treatment by Twitter in its handling of the problems on Capitol Hill and Red Fort.
“Twitter has to follow the orders. It is not a subject matter of negotiation. It’s the law of the land and if someone has a problem with any action we have undertaken... You are free to take legal recourse,” said a government source.
The Centre feels that compliance from Twitter should be immediate. “If they do it hesitatingly or grudgingly, or after 10-12 days of our orders, it’s not really a case of compliance.”
Earlier in the day, Twitter said, “… in keeping with our principles of defending protected speech and freedom of expression, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians. To do so, we believe, would violate their fundamental right to free expression under Indian law.” Twitter’s plea for a meeting with communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was turned down and the government did not take kindly to Twitter going public.
“Upon the request of Twitter seeking a meeting with the government, Secretary Sawhney was to engage with senior management of Twitter. In this light a blog post published prior to this engagement is unusual,” the IT ministry said on Koo, a newly launched Indian social media app.
The meeting, which was initially postponed, finally took place late in the evening with the government maintaining that the company needed to act, “and immediately”, as the censured accounts had violated the law of the land, including the 257 handles that tweeted with the hashtag #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide.
Twitter is said to have blocked only 126 of these accounts. Some of the accounts mentioned by the government here included Caravan magazine (@thecaravanindia), Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Salim (@salimdotcomrade), activist Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena), Kisan Ekta Morcha (@Kisanektamorcha), and BKU Ekta Urgahan (@Bkuektaugrahan).
On the other hand, of the 1,178 handles that the government suspected to have links with Khalistani and Pakistani elements to spread misinformation and provocative content, a total of 583 have been de-activated.
But the government is not satisfied with the action and a senior official said that the option of arresting some of the company executives for not complying with the legal provisions was being considered.
Top sources in the IT Ministry accused Twitter of “making commercial and business benefit by allowing the handles of those who were spreading poisonous speech” in the name of freedom of expression.
The government told the company that any entity that operates in India “must be respectful of the democratic nature” of our policy. “We are a democracy and follow constitutional provisions and laws that have been brought in place after a thorough debate in the Parliament. We can’t have the self-created provisions of a private company take precedence over the laws of our land. We ask you to be respectful of the sensitivities of our country and not to infringe upon the legal provisions that govern life in India.”
Twitter, however, has been holding its ground thus far though adding that it will continue the negotiations with the government. “We will continue to maintain dialogue with the Indian government and respectfully engage with them. We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve. We are exploring options under Indian law — both for Twitter and for the accounts that have been impacted. We remain committed to safeguarding the health of the conversation occurring on Twitter, and strongly believe that the Tweets should flow.”
The company said that it has already taken a range of enforcement actions — including permanent suspension in certain cases — against more than 500 accounts escalated by the IT Ministry. “Separately, today, we have withheld a portion of the accounts identified in the blocking orders under our Country Withheld Content policy within India only. These accounts continue to be available outside of India.”
The company further said that beginning January 26 (the day when farmers indulged in violence in the national capital), its global team provided 24/7 coverage and took enforcement action judiciously and impartially on content, trends, tweets, and accounts that were in violation of the ‘Twitter Rules’. “We took action on hundreds of accounts that violated the Twitter Rules, particularly inciting violence, abuse, wishes of harm, and threats that could trigger the risk of offline harm.”
Read More News on
13 Comments on this Story
 | Real Comment41 minutes ago Strong laws against User Data stealing, Crypto type dark web product services, Institutionalise Hacking were necessary decades back ........ Agike थरकी लिंबूटिंबूs startups gone burst after profitering from money laundering or conning speculative investors in those years ...... Prime Minister has changed and still India's IT think tanks lead by चूtiआनंदनs are on drawing board to deal with poisonous business models of Big Tech/Big Data types ...... Learn from Nature - it simply handover lifetime bans by covid death or Cancel shows by impotancy - to entities not respecting its Rules...... Like Governments, it did not allowed residents asset to be used without their consent & constitutional framework under its jurisdiction to be get ₹aped ...... |
| Prof Manohar Lal50 minutes ago Twitter has to be shown their rightful place in a democratic country. They are not the custodians of the democratic principles of free speech. Their job ends by complying with the government orders or contest them in a court of law immediately seeking whatever remedies they may wish. We have a democratically elected government , a Constitution governing the country and fully Independent Judiciary. The govt. of the day need not worry what the US and the Western world thinks about India. Arresting Twitter officials for non complaince will send clear signals to the entire digital world on their place in a democratic country. |
| M.L.GUPTA1 hour ago First, the Government of India should direct all government officers, employees, MPs, Ministers to close the Twitter accounts. If you use their service, they will only act as narrated in an article on the internet titled "The Vatican Mafia" which must be read by every Indian dispassionately. It is a strategy paper for action to world powers after the WW-II. One way to shred to pieces all motivated media campaigns, the Government must immediately start a Citizens' views platform where the best pieces get published. The Twitterattis must be told that the queues at the Mandi should open their eyes. It takes some not-connected politically or bureaucratically wait for days but the influential ones sell it by jumping the queue and collect their payments the same day. Any one complaining is punished by rejection of the produce as "inferior". Twitter guys don't know the exercise of unlawful authority at the Mandi. You send any form for distribution free of cost to the poor and the farmers and labour anything like the Ayushman benefit, and see the exercise of the dirty syndicates. THAT WHICH IS MEANT TO BE FREE OF CHARGE IS CHARGED INDECENTLY BY THE CORRUPT nexus of the politician, bureaucrat and business. If you try to eliminate the corruption you face the violence from the vested lobbies who are shameless to incite their lowly followers to raise slogans for the death of the person. Dirty minds. Dirty politicians. Dirty Twitter! |