The new IT rules were implemented by the Indian government on 26 May 2021.
Google, WhatsApp, Facebook and others companies had complied with the new IT rules and provided the required details.
Twitter being the exception is yet to abide by the new IT rules framed by the Indian government.
As per the new rules, all the social media platforms were required to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, Resident Grievance Officer and a Nodal Contact Person.
The information provided by Twitter was not as per the requirements of the new IT rules.
The Resident Grievance Officer and Nodal Contact Person that was appointed by Twitter is not an employee of the company residing in India as the case should have been as per the rules.
Moreover, Twitter has not yet provided any information about the Chief Compliance Officer.
Twitter not having submitted the required details so far, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has recently sent ‘one last warning’ to Twitter before facing the consequences.
What is the one last warning by MeitY?
The MeitY sent a letter to Twitter that said “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“.
This letter was shared by an ANI tweet.
Concluding the letter, the MeitY said “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with the Rules, failing which the exemption from liability available under section 79 of the IT Act, 2000 shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India”.
Though the details about what the consequences might be is not mentioned in the letter, it is assumed to lead to the suspension of Twitter in India.
Twitter has already been in news for the removal of the verified blue badge from the verified accounts of Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and several others.
Amid all these news piling up and the one last warning given to Twitter, this microblogging platform is expected to soon comply by the new IT rules.
