One day after it was supposed to allegedly be “banned” in India, social media giant Twitter has announced that it is ready to comply with the new IT rules in the country, which have been issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
In a statement released Thursday, the company has said that it will strive to take up the new laws applicable in India. With the statement, it is referring to the new IT guidelines pertaining to social media intermediaries.
At the same time, it has also said that it will still follow its set of principles pertaining to protection of freedom of expression, as well as transparency, much as it has always done, in other countries around the world.
For the unversed, the MIB had announced a new set of guidelines for “significant social media intermediaries” (or social media platforms spanning more than 5 million users in the country). Under the new rules, the companies are expected to set up an exhaustive three-tier grievance redressal system, and improve the transparency of functioning.
The deadline for accepting the same was set at May 25. Indian social media service Koo was the first company to accept the new terms. Facebook had agreed to adoption of the rules on May 24, along with rival Google which owns YouTube. However, after the government nudged companies to tell their stance on the new laws, more and more platforms are signing their allegiance.
“Twitter is deeply committed to the people of India. Our service has proven vital for the public conversation and a source of support for people during the pandemic. To keep our service available, we will strive to comply with applicable law in India. But, just as we do around the world, we will continue to be strictly guided by principles of transparency, a commitment to empowering every voice on the service, and protecting freedom of expression and privacy under the rule of law,” were the words of a spokesperson for the social media platform, which has also been facing legal action and a punitive slowdown in Russia, following reports of non-compliance with the country’s laws.
The company has also expressed concerns over recent issues amid its employees in India, along with fears for the future of the freedom to express one’s views in the country.
Twitter and the government have been at odds for quite some time now, with the platform first rejecting its orders to take down certain tweets (which it later did in fact, take down) and the more recent Congress toolkit fiasco. While many had feared that these new rules might become the reason Twitter leaves India, it looks like the microblogging website may actually stay.
Voicing Twitter’s concerns about the “use of intimidation tactics by the police”, the company’s spokesperson, “We plan to advocate for changes to elements of these regulations that inhibit free, open public conversation. We will continue our constructive dialogue with the Indian government and believe it is critical to adopt a collaborative approach. It is the collective responsibility of elected officials, industry, and civil society to safeguard the interests of the public.”
