FIR on Twitter | Tightening legal stance on Twitter, Law Minister said – ‘Business here, rules of America, it will not work’, Twitter faces FIR over Ghaziabad video law minister says it is ‘Deliberate defiance’

New Delhi : The legal ‘safeguard’ given to Twitter for non-compliance with the new rules of the Ministry of Information Technology has expired. Now she has started becoming a party to the posting of objectionable and inflammatory content on her platform. In the case of attack on a Muslim man in Ghaziabad, FIR has been registered on Twitter in Ghaziabad and Delhi. That is, he will now have to face the sections of the IPC. Till now social media platforms were not made parties in the case of posting inflammatory and provocative content, they were given legal protection, but this exemption given to Twitter has now ended. Twitter has not given any statement after the FIR was registered against it. He has said that he is ‘testing’ it right now.

Attempt to give communal color to Ghaziabad incident
A video of a Muslim man being beaten up in the Ghaziabad incident went viral on Twitter and social media. It was claimed on social media that the Muslim man was beaten up for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Police investigation revealed that the place of dispute was not religion but amulet. Local Muslim youths were also among those who beat up the elderly. Some people on Twitter tried to give a communal color to the incident. Twitter has been asked why it has not taken steps to ban this video.

The deadline to comply ended on May 25
On 25 February 2021, the IT Ministry came up with new rules with the aim of curbing fake news, harassment of children and women, content that incites violence. Under this, social media platforms with more than 50 lakh users have to appoint Nodal Officer, Resident Grievance Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. The government says that the appointment of these officers is necessary to settle the grievances of the people.

Twitter gets another chance under ‘Sadbhavna’
On receiving the complaint, these officers will have to look into it within 24 hours and take action within 15 days. Twitter described this move of the government as an attack on ‘freedom of expression’. The deadline for appointing officers expired on May 25. After this, the government gave another chance to Twitter, showing ‘goodwill’ but it kept refusing to comply with the rules.

‘Twitter deliberately not following the rules’
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said Twitter was “deliberately” not complying with IT norms. He said that if you want to do business in India, then the rules and regulations of the companies will have to be followed. Now it will not work that the company does business in India and the laws of America should be applicable on it. The Law Minister said that India will not compromise on its digital sovereignty. Prasad said that Twitter has not followed the Intermediary Guidelines which came into effect from May 26. However, he was given several chances to follow the rules.

It is necessary to stop fake news – Prasad
Prasad asked that there is a flood of fake news these days. There are many incidents of harassment of women and children in social media. The Union Minister said that if a woman comes with a complaint and says that someone is making her personal photos viral on social media, then it is the responsibility of the government to protect and help her. The woman cannot be asked to go to America with her complaint.

‘Freedom of expression not guarded’
Similarly, if a post comes from across the border to incite riots or violence in the country, then the government would like to know who circulated that post for the first time in the country. Twitter shouldn’t have trouble giving this information. People on Twitter are free to criticize the government. The government is not keeping any guard on the freedom of expression.