Centre sends notice to Twitter for not complying with its order to remove accounts trying to incite the situation amid farmers protests, according to sources on Wednesday. The government has also directed Twitter to comply with its order to remove contents/accounts related to farmer genocide hashtags and warned that the microblogging platform may face "penal action" for non-compliance of its order.
Sources told Zee News that Twitter had unilaterally unblocked accounts and tweets despite specific order for blocking. Twitter is an 'intermediary' and is obliged to obey the direction of the government, sources said, adding that the platform may face penal action for not complying with government orders.
READ | Fake News: 2 held for sharing wrong information about Delhi Police on Facebook, Twitter
It is to be noted that the notice is not for blocking content related to farmer protests but for blocking content related to farmer genocide.
As per sources, "The content with #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide hashtag was posted on Twitter which was designed to inflame passions, hatred and factually incorrect. This is a motivated campaign to abuse, inflame and create tension in society on unsubstantiated grounds." Sources said that incitement to genocide is not freedom of speech; it is a threat to law and order."
READ | Twitter withholds services of prominent accounts over 'legal reasons', restores later
"Twitter unilaterally unblocked accounts and tweets despite the order of the government for blocking. Twitter is an intermediary and they are obliged to obey the direction of government. Refusal to do so will invite penal action. Twitter being an intermediary is obliged to obey the directions as per the satisfaction of authorities as to which inflammatory content will arouse passion and impact public order," it added.
Government notice quoted more than half a dozen Supreme Court judgments including constitutional benches as to what is public order and what the rights of authorities are. As reported by news agency PTI, IT ministry sources asserted that Twitter cannot assume the role of the court and justify non-compliance, it added.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) had recently directed Twitter to block around 250 tweets/Twitter accounts that were making 'fake, intimidatory and provocative tweets' on January 30 with hashtags accusing the Modi government of planning farmers 'genocide' without any further substantiation.
