NEW DELHI: Social media giant Twitter is at risk of facing suspension and even being blocked in India, and the government has warned the company of legal consequences over the issue of listing Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir, instead of the Union Territory of Ladakh. An FIR can also be filed against a senior Twitter India official.
Top government sources said they saw the matter as “a deliberate attempt by Twitter to undermine the will of the sovereign Parliament of India,” which had declared Ladakh a Leh-based Union Territory of India.
The government had sent a notice to the company on Monday, requesting its response before the close of this week.
Shortly after Leh was shown as part of China, a notice was sent to Twitter founder Jack Dorsey (This has been fixed, although the country tag for India has yet to be updated.)
The information and technology ministry sent the notice on Monday to the company’s global vice president, asking him to explain within five working days “why legal action should not be taken against Twitter and its representatives for not respecting the territorial integrity of India by displaying an incorrect map. “, the sources said.
If Twitter does not act after the current notice, then the government will take legal action, a source told TOI. “We can file an FIR against the head of Twitter in India under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1961, for altering the map of India. There could be a six-month jail under this provision. ”
The other legal action the government is considering could take the form of Section 69A of the IT Act. “Access to the company’s resource, application or website may be blocked under this provision to challenge India’s territorial integrity or display content that threatens territorial integrity,” the source said, adding: “They will be taken serious action if Twitter doesn’t follow – let’s say tomorrow night.
When contacted, a Twitter spokesperson said the company had already shared a comprehensive response to the government. “Twitter remains committed to partnering with the Government of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to serve the public conversation. We have duly responded to the letter and, as part of our correspondence, we share a full update with the latest developments related to the subject of geotags, ”said the spokesperson.
The sources, however, said: “Work is underway on Twitter to display the Union Territory tag and should be displayed by the end of November.” The IT ministry called the matter “serious” and TI Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney had written to Dorsey on October 21, initially after the location setup showing Leh in China. While the Chinese location issue has been resolved, Leh is now listed as part of Jammu and Kashmir. Sawhney had asked Dorsey to respect Indian sensibilities.
In September, the government had asked Twitter for an explanation about an account linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal website that was being hacked. “… any attempt by Twitter to disrespect the sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected on the maps, is totally unacceptable and also illegal,” Sawhney had said.
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