What’s happening with Twitter and the Indian government?
1/5
Restricted accounts
Last week, multiple Indian accounts on Twitter were suddenly suspended/restricted by the microblogging site but were brought back, eventually. Twitter says there were 250 plus accounts restored.
2/5
Legal compliance
When Twitter suspended the accounts initially, a notice on the accounts said the site was following a legal order. The order seems to have originated from the Indian government, but can they do that? Does Twitter have to comply? Here are your answers.
3/5
IT Act, 2000
India’s IT Act covers everyone who plays a role in the use of computer resources and electronic records, the legal definition includes providers of telecom service, network service, Internet service and web hosting, besides search engines, online payment and auction sites, online marketplaces and cyber cafes.
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4/5
Section 69A
Under the Act, when the government asks a service provider, in this case Twitter, to monitor or decrypt something, the site is obliged to comply or face jail time and fine. In the event the government asks them to block someone and they don’t, there is a prison term of up to seven years, besides a fine.
5/5
Section 79
However, the site can use a section of the Act to not be held liable for content its users generate; however, if the site is found to have abetted the exemption will not apply.