For failure to check hate messages: Home Ministry warns Twitter of strict action

Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba met Vijaya Gadde, Global Head of Legal, Policy, Trust and Safety Lead, Twitter and Mahima Kaul, Indian Representative of Twitter on Monday.

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Home ministry pulls up microblogging site for being ‘slow’ in removing objectionable content. (Image: Bloomberg/File)

The government on Monday pulled up Twitter for being ‘slow’ on law enforcement agencies’ requests to pull down content and accounts that incite communal violence. The home ministry said that strict legal provisions will need to be invoked in case the microblogging site did not comply with the requests of the authorities to promptly remove objectionable content.

“It has been noticed that action taken by Twitter for removing/blocking of objectionable/unlawful content has been slow in some cases and compliance for removal of unlawful content has been only about 60 per cent even where orders have been issued by the competent authority after following due process of law,” a statement by the home ministry said.

Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba met Vijaya Gadde, Global Head of Legal, Policy, Trust and Safety Lead, Twitter and Mahima Kaul, Indian Representative of Twitter on Monday.

“During the meeting, specific instances of legal requisitions were shown where Delhi Police had sought for removal of content openly inciting violence where response by Twitter had been neither full nor timely. Specific legal notices issued by the Delhi Police seeking investigation related information were also shared with them,” the statement said.

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He asked the Twitter representatives to “ensure 24×7 mechanism” for prompt disposal of requisitions of law enforcement agencies for deletion and removal of unlawful and objectionable content from their platform. “They were also advised to appoint India-based contact persons who would be available round the clock, and put in place an escalation mechanism to deal with requisitions of law enforcement agencies and general public for prompt removal of unlawful and objectionable content,” the statement said.

A home ministry spokesperson said that in the recent past, some cases of uploading and posting of objectionable content which are likely to “disrupt public peace and incite criminal offences including communal violence” have been posted on Twitter. “Some of these cases were brought to the notice of Ministry of Home Affairs. Action was taken for removal of such contents from public access, on intervention of MHA and Delhi Police,” the statement said.

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Home Ministry had been convening meetings with all social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Whatsapp and Twitter to sensitise them about preventive and other actions to remove unlawful content immediately.

“During the meeting, it was impressed upon Twitter representatives that they should improve their system of response to investigations related legal requests of law enforcement agencies under provisions of Criminal Penal Code and other laws,” the statement said.

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