Govt’s Content Takedown Order: K’taka HC Quashes Twitter’s Plea, Slaps INR 50 Lakh Fine

The Karnataka High Court has dismissed Twitter’s plea that challenged the Central government’s take down order on several Twitter accounts.

As per a LiveLaw report, a single judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit has also imposed a fine of INR 50 Lakh on the microblogging platform, citing its conduct while also refusing Twitter’s request to stay the operation of the order. 

“Your client (Twitter) was given notices and your client did not comply…Punishment for non-compliance is 7 years imprisonment and unlimited fine. That also did not deter your client. So you have not given any reason why you delayed compliance, more than a year of delay…then all of sudden you comply and approach the Court. You are not a farmer but a billon dollar company,” the Bench reportedly said while delivering the verdict.

“In the above circumstances the petition being devoid of merits is liable to be dismissed with exemplary cost and accordingly is dismissed. Petitioner is levied with exemplary cost of INR 50 Lakh payable to the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, within 45 days and if delay is brooked it will attract an additional of INR 5,000 per day,” the Court ordered.

Before Elon Musk’s takeover, which led to a major overhaul in Twitter, the microblogging platform took the Indian government to the court in July 2022. The plea before the HC sought to overturn its content takedown orders issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) under Section 69A of the IT Act.

Twitter had opposed the Centre’s order alleging that some of those blocking orders pertained to “political content that was posted by the official handles of political parties.”

The Karnataka HC had framed eight issues in the matter. In fact, the Centre reportedly also questioned the locus standi of Twitter’s challenge to the orders given it’s a foreign company and as per the Indian Constitution, only an Indian citizen has the right to challenge fundamental rights to freedom. 

It is pertinent to note that recently, Twitter’s former CEO Jack Dorsey sparked a fresh controversy alleging that the Indian government raided the homes of Twitter India employees and also shut down the company’s offices in the country.

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