The Central government has sent a notice to Twitter for reinstating the accounts that were supporting the farmers’ protests despite the IT Ministry’s directive to block them. It also warned Twitter of consequences “of non-compliance of directions issued under section 69A of the Act”.
Twitter had reinstated the accounts on Monday night after blocking dozens of accounts earlier in the day. Among the accounts that were suspended include those of Kisan Ekta Morcha and Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), The Caravan magazine, Prasar Bharti CEO Sashi Shekhar Vempati, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Jarnail Singh, CPI(M) leader Md Salim, activist Hansraj Meena, and actor Sushant Singh.
The 18-page notice stated that the “impracticability or the disproportionality of the said measure cannot be decided (by) Twitter which is an intermediary bound by the orders of the Central Government.”
Government sources said that company had unilaterally unblocked accounts and tweets despite specific order for blocking. Twitter is an intermediary and is obliged to obey direction of government, sources said, adding that the platform may face penal action for not complying with government orders.
IT ministry sources asserted that company cannot assume the role of court and justify non-compliance. Rules under 69A of the IT Act are used often in government-mandated Internet takedowns. The rules allow the government to block public access to information from a computer “in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above”.
