Govt asked to block 14K accounts, 175 tweets between Feb 2021-22: Twitter tells HC

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued at least 10 blocking orders to Twitter, asking the social media giant to suspend over 1,400 accounts and 175 tweets under Section 69 (A) of the IT Act, 2000, between February 2021 and 2022.

In its petition before the Karnataka High Court, Twitter had pleaded against the suspension of 39 of the links pointed out by the ministry, stating that many of them were URLs of political and journalistic nature and taking them off could violate the right to free speech, Indian Express reported.

In its petition, the company has also informed the court that there has been a spate in ministry orders to block entire accounts without giving reasons or citing specific tweets to justify the suspension.

“Several of the URLs contain political and journalistic content. Blocking of such information is a gross violation of the freedom of speech guaranteed to citizen-users of the platform,” Twitter said in its petition.

According to IE, the company has challenged in court the ministry’s order to block 1,474 Twitter accounts and 175 tweets, stating that it violates Section 69 (A) of the IT Act.

“The blocking orders are challenged on the basis that they are procedurally and substantially non-compliant with Section 69(A), are manifestly arbitrary, fail to provide the originators prior notice and are disproportionate in several cases,” IE quoted Twitter as saying in the plea.

The company has also requested the court to order the ministry to modify the earlier blocking list to identify tweets that are violative of Section 69(A).

Twitter has reportedly submitted to the court, the accounts and tweets the ministry wanted to be suspended, in a sealed envelope.

The social media company has told the court that the ministry in non-compliances notices issued in June, has given it “one last opportunity” to comply with the blocking orders or risk losing its immunity as an intermediary. The immunity under the IT law protects a social media company from being sued by users for certain content on its platform.

Under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, 2000, the Centre can ask social media intermediaries to block profiles and content “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 cognisable offence relating to above.”