Reliable sources revealed on Tuesday that Twitter had filed a petition with the Karnataka High Court challenging the Indian government’s orders to block content on its platform on the grounds that the IT Ministry’s instructions did not meet “the test of the grounds provided under Section 69A of the IT Act.”
Twitter claims that a number of the blocking orders it has received just “cite” Section 69A’s legal justifications without providing evidence that the item in question actually violates the provision.
As well as non-compliance letters issued for failing to remove the information, Twitter has been ordered by the government to take action on content take-down notices filed in accordance with Section 69A of the IT Act. Sources claim that Twitter has asked the court to overturn various blocking orders related to some of the content that is included in those orders by filing a judicial review motion.
IT Ministry officials warned Twitter in a June letter that strict measures would be taken if it did not remove some content.
The company contends that multiple accounts and content included in the blocking orders are “overbroad and arbitrary”, fail to notify the “originators” of the content, and are “disproportionate”.
According to sources, several of these posts could relate to political content posted by official party handles. The blocking of such information violates the freedom of speech guaranteed to platform users. Twitter’s court case has not yet been reacted to by the IT Ministry.
