Blocking of such information is gross violation of the freedom of speech guaranteed to citizen-user of platform of Twitter,” it has been claimed in the petition while pointing out that no proper reason is assigned in the ‘blocking orders’.
“Several of the URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) contain political and journalistic content. The authorities, since February 2021, have told Twitter to block 1,474 accounts and 175 tweets, it has been stated in the petition while contending that the ‘blocking orders’ are illegal as authorities have not issued notices to the originators of the accounts under Rule 8 (1) of the 2009 rules, and the ‘blocking orders’ do not conform to the ‘least intrusive test’ as recognised by the apex court. In 34 cases, it has been claimed in the petition, Twitter was told to block the entire account even though Section 69A allows only blocking of ‘information’.
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You might want to read Rightful challenge: On Twitter, IT rules and free speech The ‘blocking orders’ are also contrary to the procedures and safeguards prescribed in the Information Technology (Procedures and Safeguards for Blocking of Access to Information by Public) Rules, 2009, the petitioner claims. Twitter, which has complied with the ‘blocking orders’ under protest, has contended in the petition that the ‘blocking orders’ are manifestly arbitrary, procedurally and substantially not in consonance with Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000.
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The petition was filed after the designated officer of the MeitY, following a series of meeting with the Compliance Officer of Twitter on the issues raised on correctness of several ‘blocking orders’, issued a notice on Jinforming that penal action would be initiated against Twitter for not complying with the ‘blocking orders’. Hence, the bench adjourned the hearing while accepting August 25 as the date for hearing the petition, on Mr. The counsel for the Central Government said that the Solicitor General of India, who will argue on behalf of the government, is infected with COVID-19, and he requires at least 15 days to recover from the infection. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Twitter, has said that the blocking orders are contrary to the right to freedom of expression and the entire business of the company will come to an end due to the nature of a blocking order. Why has Twitter gone to court against the Indian government? | In Focus podcast