Twitter notice to remove manipulated media tag not under IT Act: MeitY in response to RTI

The letters issued by the ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY) to instant messaging platform Twitter to remove the manipulated media tag from tweets were not issued under any provision of the IT Act, 2000, an RTI filed by digital think tank Internet Freedom Foundation has revealed.

“When @GoI_MeitY first issued its letter to Twitter in May ’21, asking it to remove the “Manipulated Media” tag, we wrote to MeitY pointing out that nothing in the IT Act or Rules empowers MeitY to do this. And that this request had no statutory basis,” IFF said on Twitter.