Twitter's plea dismissed

The Karnataka High Court has rejected Twitter's appeal challenging blocking and take- down orders issued by India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Along with the dismissal, the court has levied a penalty of ₹ 50 lakhs on Twitter, which must be paid within 45 days. The judge emphasized that the government possesses the authority to block tweets and accounts. In response to Twitter's plea being dismissed, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar stressed the importance of responsible online platforms and complying with Indian law.

Recently, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey claimed in an interview that the Indian government had threatened to shut down the platform and conduct raids on employees' homes. He further declared that India had requested the removal of tweets and accounts related to the farmers' protest in 2020 and urged Twitter to ban accounts of journalists critical of the government.

However, the Indian government denied these allegations and defamed Twitter of violating laws. Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar responded to Dorsey's claims on Twitter, labeling them as outright lies and an attempt to cover up Twitter's controversial history. Interestingly, the same minister now expresses satisfaction that Twitter should adhere to the rule of law and has the right to ban or close accounts censuring the government.