Trouble mounted for social media giant Twitter as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology shot a letter and sought a response in blocking IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and committee’s chairman Shashi Tharoor’s accounts, even as two fresh cases were filed against the micro-blogging site by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police.
In a meeting held on Tuesday, the Committee on Information and Technology sought a response from the microblogging site within 48 hours to explain the reason behind the blocking of these two accounts. A source has told The Daily Guardian that a letter has been shot by the secretariat. Twitter will have to give a written answer to the committee within 48 hours, explaining why and under what rule Twitter blocked Twitter accounts of IT minister Ravi Shankar Pradesh and senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the source added. If the committee does not find Twitter’s response satisfactory, its officials may be summoned to be present in person.
Twitter had temporarily blocked Prasad’s account for one hour on 25 June. The Standing Committee’s tough stand has come at a time when the Central government and Twitter are at loggerheads over new social media and intermediary guidelines.
In a separate case, the committee has directed social media platforms Facebook and Google to comply with new IT rules and follow the law of the land. At Tuesday’s meeting, the committee was hearing the views of these companies about safeguarding the rights of the citizens and how to stop the misuse of social media.
Facebook India associate general counsel Namrata Singh and the company’s director of public policy Shivnath Thukral were present at the meeting and Google was represented by its country head (government affairs and public policy) Aman Jain and director (legal) Gitanjali Duggal. Several issues were discussed in the meeting.
The agenda of this meeting was to safeguard citizens’ rights and prevent the misuse of social/online news media platforms. The committee is likely to summon representatives of YouTube and other Social Media Intermediaries in the coming weeks over the issue.
Meanwhile, two fresh cases were filed against the micro-blogging site by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police. The Delhi Police’s Cyber Cell registered an FIR against Twitter Inc and Twitter Communication India Private Ltd under several serious sections of the POCSO Act on a complaint of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). On the other hand, the UP Police registered a separate FIR against Twitter on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal leader in Bulandshahr. The complaint, which has been filed for carrying out a distorted map of India, names Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari and News Partnership head Amrita Tripathi.
The Delhi Police has now registered an FIR against Twitter, DCP Cyber Cell told the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Tuesday. FIR has been registered based on a complaint filed by NCPCR, claiming that child pornographic videos and links were available on the micro-blogging site. DCP Cyber Cell Anyesh Roy was summoned on Tuesday by the Commission for not taking action against Twitter despite repeated letters. Delhi Police said that an FIR under relevant sections of IPC, IT Act and POCSO Act has been registered by Cyber Crime Unit, and investigation has been taken up.