Twitter sues Centre on takedown orders

Social media company Twitter moved the Karnataka high court on Tuesday against the Union government’s orders for it to take down posts and accounts, people aware of the matter said, a legal challenge that has accused the Centre of abuse of power.

The petition, first reported by Reuters on Tuesday, is the latest escalation of a fight between the government and the social media company that first broke out early in 2021, when the Centre sought a number of posts in connection with the then ongoing farmers’ agitation to be pulled down. While Twitter mostly complied, it did not act on several accounts and posts, especially those of politicians and mediapersons.

In June 2022, the ministry of electronics and technology (Meity) “served a letter setting out serious consequences of non-compliance, including, but not limited to, criminal proceedings against Twitter’s chief compliance officer, and granted last opportunity to comply…” the person said, asking not to be named.