Twitter 'concerned' about India staff safety after police visit; Centre says new rules empower social media users

Police visited a Twitter office to serve a notice to the micro-blogging firm's country head for a probe

As social media platforms are up against the government over new intermediary rules, Twitter on Thursday joined the chorus expressing concern over the new regulations describing it as a "dangerous overreach that is inconsistent with open, democratic principles" and taking exception to the "use of intimidation tactics" by the police in the toolkit case.

Google said it is committed to comply with local laws and it respects the legislative processes, and in cases where it needs to push back, it does so even as the government said the new rules empower common man when they become victims of abuse and misuse.

The developments came two days after WhatsApp approached a Delhi court against the new social media intermediary rules, which it said would have an impact on privacy of its users. The social media companies were to comply with the rules from May 26 but WhatsApp chose to approach the court on the last day May 25.

Read: BJP’s ‘toolkit’ case amounts to misuse of govt power

As the government insisted that the social media giants have no option but to comply, Twitter said it would "strive to comply with applicable law in India to keep its service available in the country" though it was seeking three more months to comply with the new rules.

Referring to Delhi Police personnel visiting its office on the pretext of serving notice in the 'toolkit case', a Twitter spokesperson said, “We, alongside many in civil society in India and around the world, have concerns with regards to the use of intimidation tactics by the police in response to enforcement of our global terms of service, as well as with core elements of the new IT Rules.”

Twitter also said it was concerned about the requirement to make an individual, whom it should appoint as compliance officer as per new rules, criminally liable for content on the platform, the requirements for proactive monitoring, and the blanket authority to seek information about our customers. This represents dangerous overreach that is inconsistent with open, democratic principles", the spokesperson said.

It urged the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MietY) to publish the Standard Operating Protocols on procedural aspects of compliance for public consultation.

Twitter was in the news after it tagged BJP leader Sambit Patra's tweet on 'Congress toolkit' as "manipulated media". Government wanted it to retract but the social media giant refused to do so and days later, Delhi Police personnel visited the Twitter offices on the pretext of serving notice in connection with a complaint filed by Congress against BJP leaders.

Separately, Google said it is committed to complying with local laws and engages constructively with governments as they scrutinise and adopt regulatory frameworks to keep pace with the fast evolving technology landscape.

"It's obviously early days and our local teams are very engaged... we always respect local laws in every country we operate in and we work constructively. We have clear transparency reports, when we comply with government requests, we highlight that in our transparency reports," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said.

A free and open internet is "foundational", and that India has long traditions of that, he said adding that the company respects the legislative processes, and in cases where it needs to push back, it does so. "It's a balance we have struck around the world," he said.

Taking firm stand on new rules, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that WhatsApp users have nothing to fear about new social media rules, that are designed to prevent abuse and misuse of platforms, and offer users a robust forum for grievance redressal.

"The rules only empower the ordinary users of social media when they become victims of abuse and misuse," Prasad wrote on micro-blogging platforms Koo and Twitter.

The new rules were announced in February, which came into force from Wednesday (May 26), requires large social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to follow additional due diligence, including the appointment of a chief compliance officer, nodal contact person and resident grievance officer, monitoring of objectionable content, preparing monthly compliance report and removal of objectionable content.

The new rules also specify that social media firms adopt features such as traceability of messages and voluntary user verification.