Comply Or Face Consequences: Govt Sends Final Notice To Twitter For Compliance With New IT Rules

The government on Saturday (5 June) issued a final notice to Twitter to comply with the new Information Technology rules that came into effect on 26 May or be ready for the consequences if the micro-blogging website fails to follow the norms.

In a letter to the Twitter, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) warned the social media company that failure to comply with the new IT rules could "lead to unintended consequences including Twitter losing exemption from liability as intermediary" available under section 79 of the IT Act, 2009.

In the letter, signed by MeITY's Cyber Law Group Coordinator Rakesh Maheshwari, the ministry slammed Twitter for nominating non-employees as Resident Grievance Officer and Nodal Contact Person. The new IT rules prescribe appointment of employees as the aforementioned officials by the social media companies.

The ministry also noted that Twitter's earlier response to its previous notices had left it "dismayed" as they neither address the clarifications sought by the MeITY nor indicated the full compliance with the IT rules.

Social media platforms were given three months to comply with the new rules which came into effect on 26 May.

The ministry further said that Twitter's non-compliance with the IT rules from IT rules makes it liable for consequences but as a "gesture of goodwill", it was issuing a "last notice" to the micro-blogging website to immediately comply with the new norms, failing which the US social media company will be "liable for consequences".