Social media platform Twitter has currently learnt to have approached the government asking for more time to comply with the new IT rules.
As per sources, the micro-blogging site has said that it has thought to comply with the rules but needs some time due to the pandemic situation in the country .
“Twitter has written to Meity seeking more time to comply with the IT rules. It has expressed its intent to comply with the rules but has been unable to do so because of the pandemic,” a source told PTI.
The response from Twitter camebafter the government , issued a strongly-worded final notice to the organization regarding its non-compliance with the new rules.
When asked, a Twitter spokesperson said Twitter has been and is deeply committed to India, and serving the important public conversation taking place on the platform.
“We have assured the government of India that Twitter is making every effort to comply with the new guidelines, and an overview on our progress has been duly shared. We will continue our constructive dialogue with the Indian government,” the spokesperson said.
In its notice, the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) had claimed that Twitter’s refusal to agree with the rules demonstrated the micro-blogging site’s “lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform”.
“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 ministry had added.
The new IT rules for social media organisations that came into effect last month mandate large platforms like Facebook and Twitter to undertake greater due diligence and make these digital platforms more accountable and responsible for the content hosted by them.
According to the central government, the new rules are designed to prevent abuse and misuse of platforms, and offer users a robust forum for grievance redressal.