Parliamentary panel on IT orders Twitter to abide by Indian laws

The social media platform has been at loggerheads with the government over the new IT rules

The committee decided to call “Google, YouTube, Facebook and others” in the next meeting but the date has not been decided yet.: Shutterstock

TT Special Correspondent   |   New Delhi   |   19.06.21: Cutting across party lines, members of a parliamentary panel on Friday objected to the observations made by the officials of Twitter India that they abide by their own policy and categorically told them that the rule of land is supreme.

The social media platform has been at loggerheads with the government over the new IT rules and had recently been stripped off the intermediary status for its failure to comply with its regulations.

Twitter India’s public policy manager Shagufta Kamran and legal counsel Ayushi Kapoor on Friday deposed before a House panel on IT headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

When asked whether the company was following the law of the land, a representative responded saying, “We follow our own policies.”

Panel members strongly objected to the remark as they emphasised the sovereign right to set rules and companies to follow them.

After the meeting, a Twitter spokesperson said, “Twitter stands prepared to work with the committee on the important work of safeguarding citizens’ rights online in line with our principles of transparency, freedom of expression, and privacy.”

The committee decided to call “Google, YouTube, Facebook and others” in the next meeting but the date has not been decided yet.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Special Rapporteurs have written to the Indian government expressing concern about the newly notified IT Rules, 2021, and asked that it carry out a detailed review, and consult with all the relevant stakeholders.

The communication said the new IT rules do not appear to meet the requirements of international law related to the rights of privacy and freedom of opinion and expression, as protected by Article 17 and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, acceded by India in April 1979.