The popular microblogging site, Twitter flagged concern over “the potential threat to freedom of expression” and “the use of intimidation tactics by the police” regarding the new digital rules in India. The social media giant also expressed concerns about the safety of its employees in India.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released a strong-worded statement saying that Twitter’s statement is an attempt to dictate its terms to the world’s largest democracy. “Through its actions and deliberate defiance, Twitter seeks to undermine India’s legal system,” the statement said.
Furthermore, the ministry asked Twitter to stop beating around the bush & comply with the laws of the land. “Lawmaking and policy formulations is the sole prerogative of the sovereign. Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what India’s legal policy framework should be,” the statement said.
Given the strong-worded public statement by the Government of India, there are enough indications that the Government will not even hesitate to ban Twitter if it does not comply with the rule of the land.
