Editor's Pick: ‘Last notice’ to Twitter

The government on Saturday sent out “one last notice” to U.S.-based social media platform Twitter to immediately comply with the new IT Rules that came into effect on May 26. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) wrote Saturday to Twitter global Deputy General Counsel Jim Baker, saying that if Twitter did not ensure immediate compliance with the guidelines, the protections accorded to it under Section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) Act would stand withdrawn. Section 79 of the IT Act gives social media intermediaries immunity from legal prosecution for content posted on their platforms. The Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, announced by the IT Ministry in February, required all social media intermediaries with more than 50 lakh users in India — termed significant social media intermediaries — to appoint a resident grievance officer, a chief compliance officer, and a nodal contact person. The details of such executives will have to be posted publicly on the platform and its website, the new guidelines mandate. Twitter declined to comment on the notice. The tech company has been at loggerheads with the government for months over the new rules, raising concerns over the requirements for making an individual (the compliance officer) criminally liable for content on the platform. The company also pointed out that the requirements for proactive monitoring, and the blanket authority to seek information about its customers represents dangerous overreach that is inconsistent with open, democratic principles. While most other tech companies like Facebook, Google and WhatsApp have shared with the Ministry, details of executives appointed to these posts, Twitter had sent details of a lawyer working at a law firm and said that person was their nodal contact person as well as grievance officer. It had not shared details of the chief compliance officer. The Ministry’s notice to Twitter came on a day when Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu’s personal Twitter account lost its “blue tick” of verification on Saturday morning, only to have it restored later in the day after the matter was taken up by his office with Twitter officials. Similar complaints by several senior members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) followed. This is the latest in a long series of flashpoint between the Narendra Modi government and Twitter and the dispute doesn’t look like getting resolved any time soon. That marks this story out as our top pick of the day. The Hindu Explains What does the World Health Organisation say about H10N3 bird flu, and is there a reason to worry? Why has the U.S. delayed tariffs under digital services tax? Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. Click here Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz The Delhi High Court rejected Bollywood actor Juhi Chawla's suit against the rollout of 5G technology in India, terming it a "publicity stunt", and imposed a cost of how much on the petitioners? 1. ₹2 lakh 2. ₹20 lakh 3. ₹20,000 4. ₹25,000 To find out the answer and play the full quiz, click here [logo] Editor's Pick 06 JUNE 2021 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( ‘Last notice’ to Twitter [‘Last notice’ to Twitter] The government on Saturday sent out [“one last notice”]( to U.S.-based social media platform Twitter to immediately [comply with the new IT Rules]( that came into effect on May 26. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) wrote Saturday to Twitter global Deputy General Counsel Jim Baker, saying that if Twitter did not ensure immediate compliance with the guidelines, the protections accorded to it under Section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) Act would stand withdrawn. Section 79 of the IT Act gives social media intermediaries immunity from legal prosecution for content posted on their platforms. The Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, [announced by the IT Ministry in February]( required all social media intermediaries with more than 50 lakh users in India — termed significant social media intermediaries — to appoint a resident grievance officer, a chief compliance officer, and a nodal contact person. The details of such executives will have to be posted publicly on the platform and its website, the new guidelines mandate. [Twitter]( declined to comment on the notice. The tech company has been at loggerheads with the government for months over the new rules, raising concerns over the requirements for making an individual (the compliance officer) criminally liable for content on the platform. The company also pointed out that the requirements for proactive monitoring, and the blanket authority to seek information about its customers represents dangerous overreach that is inconsistent with open, democratic principles. While most other tech companies like Facebook, Google and WhatsApp have shared with the Ministry, details of executives appointed to these posts, Twitter had sent details of a lawyer working at a law firm and said that person was their nodal contact person as well as grievance officer. It had not shared details of the chief compliance officer. The Ministry’s notice to Twitter came on a day when Vice-President [M. Venkaiah Naidu’s personal Twitter account]( lost its “blue tick” of verification on Saturday morning, only to have it restored later in the day after the matter was taken up by his office with Twitter officials. Similar complaints by several senior members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) followed. This is the latest in a long series of flashpoint between the Narendra Modi government and Twitter and the dispute doesn’t look like getting resolved any time soon. That marks this story out as our top pick of the day. The Hindu Explains [Arrow][What does the World Health Organisation say about H10N3 bird flu, and is there a reason to worry?]( [Arrow][Why has the U.S. delayed tariffs under digital services tax?](  [underlineimg] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( [underlineimg]  Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz The Delhi High Court rejected Bollywood actor Juhi Chawla's suit against the rollout of 5G technology in India, terming it a "publicity stunt", and imposed a cost of how much on the petitioners? 1. ₹2 lakh 2. ₹20 lakh 3. ₹20,000 4. ₹25,000 To find out the answer and play the full quiz, [click here]( Today's Best Reads [[Naomi Osaka | Resistance and reflection] Naomi Osaka | Resistance and reflection]( [[Hue and cry] Hue and cry]( [[Nothing will dampen their spirits, say Punjab’s farmers, determined to fight the ‘black laws’] Nothing will dampen their spirits, say Punjab’s farmers, determined to fight the ‘black laws’]( [[The human voice is an uncanny subject and its links with identity are complex] The human voice is an uncanny subject and its links with identity are complex]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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