Twitter gets called out for defying India’s IT Rules by Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday reprimanded social media behemoth Twitter for failing to follow the government's new information and technology regulations.

The High Court stated that Twitter cannot be allowed to take as long as it wants to hire a Resident Grievance Officer, the High Court further added that it requires Twitter to notify it on Thursday about its position “regarding complying with all other provisions” of the IT Rules, 2021.

"If Twitter thinks that they can take as much time as it wants in our country, then I will not permit that. You should have taken some firm steps to appoint the officer," remarked the Delhi HC during a hearing on a petition alleging that the microblogging site failed to appoint a resident grievance officer in line with the IT Rules, 2021.

Twitter has deceived the court and given the false impression that it has hired a resident grievance officer as required by the new IT regulations, according to Justice Rekha Palli.

Justice Rekha Palli said that Twitter should have arranged an appointment by now, she also pulled it up from appearing in court on May 31st and making a "misleading" remark. On May 28th, Twitter informed the court that a Resident Grievance Officer had been appointed. The bench said that it was never made aware that the appointment was only temporary.

Twitter's representative, Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya, admitted in court that the company was currently in violation of the IT Rules. A practising lawyer was assigned as an interim grievance officer, Poovayya informed the court, and he remained for three weeks.

Poovayya explained, “He then indicated… that because the Union said that they will not accept a non-employee as a grievance officer and also to be fair to his lawyer, he realised that there is a lot of precipitation which he need not put his neck into. He has now withdrawn his consent and Twitter is in the process of appointing a new grievance officer.”

The court, however, stated that the regulations are binding on Twitter and that the interim officer previously appointed has been out of the post for more than two weeks now. “To that extent, Twitter is in reliance of the rules,” the court stated.