Karnataka: Twitter challenges HC verdict dismissing plea against block order

Microblogging site Twitter, now X Corp, has approached the High Court of Karnataka against the earlier order of a single-judge bench, which had dismissed its petition challenging the Centre’s blocking orders. Justice Krishna S Dixit also imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on Twitter in his judgment on June 30.

The appeal filed by Twitter will come up before a division bench of the high court.

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Twitter’s main contention was that Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) had issued blocking orders under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act without issuing notice to the account holders.

The appeal filed on August 1 is yet to be listed for hearing. The appeal challenges the imposition of the Rs 50 lakh fine as unjust and excessive and has sought an interim relief of keeping it in suspension.

Twitter was ordered to pay the fine within August 14 by the single-judge bench. The order also specified that if Twitter fails to comply, an additional fine of Rs 5,000 per day will be imposed on it.

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Twitter claimed that the Centre had issued 10 government orders between February 2, 2021 and February 28, 2022, directing it to block 1,474 accounts, 175 tweets, 256 URLs, and one hashtag. Twitter challenged the orders related to 39 of these URLs.

The high court bench had framed eight questions and only the question of locus standi for filing the petition was answered in favour of Twitter. The court had rejected all contentions of Twitter and imposed the fine on it.

The bench had pointed to Twitter not complying with the government orders for more than a year and then approaching it.

(With agency inputs)