Intermediary can’t decide if content is lawful or not: Twitter tells Delhi HC

Microblogging website Twitter on Wednesday told the Delhi high court that being an intermediary, it cannot decide whether content on its platform is lawful or otherwise unless it is put to such “actual knowledge”.

In an affidavit filed before a bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Subramonium Prasad, Twitter said it can take down content from the platform on being notified about the same by way of a court order or by notification by the appropriate agency.

“Information is required to be actioned, when the answering respondent (Twitter) is put to actual knowledge of any content that may be unlawful and has so been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or by the appropriate government, “Twitter’s affidavit read.