Centre Free to Take Action Against Twitter If It Breaches IT Rules: Delhi HC

Twitter also informed the court that it is setting up a liaison office in India, in compliance with the new IT rules 2021.

(File Photo: IANS)

Microblogging platform Twitter on Thursday, 8 July, told the Delhi High Court that it will appoint a grievance redressal office within 'eight weeks'.

Twitter also informed the court that it is setting up a liaison office in India, in compliance with the new IT rules 2021. This office will be their permanent physical contact.

Responding to the eight week demand, the Delhi High Court said that Twitter won't enjoy legal protection if it does not abide to the India's new IT Rules.

The high court also warned stating that there is no interim protection for Twitter and the Centre is free to take any action if it breaches the new IT rules in India.

The social media giant has also promised to release the first transparency report by 11 July.

"After 21 June, till 6 July, the least you could have done was appoint another person. How long does your process take? If Twitter thinks it can take as long it wants in our country, I will not allow that," the judge had said, reported Bar & Bench.

Twitter Losing Immunity for Not Complying With IT Rules: Govt to HC

The Centre had on Monday told the Delhi High Court that Twitter had failed to comply with IT Rules 2021 as on 1 July, leading to a loss of its immunity as an 'intermediary'.

According to IANS, in a short affidavit, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had said, "IT Rules, 2021 are the law of the land and Respondent No. 2 (Twitter) is mandatorily required to comply with the same. Any non-compliance amounts to breach of the provisions of the IT Rules, thereby leading to Respondent No. 2 losing its immunity conferred under Section 79(1) of the IT Act, 2000."

The affidavit further said that the immunity conferred on intermediaries under Section 79(1) is a conditional immunity subject to the intermediary satisfying the conditions under Sections 79(2) and 79(3).

According to the new IT laws, social media platforms are required to appoint a chief compliance officer, a nodal officer, and a grievance officer — all whom are required to be residents of India.