Twitter, a leading social media platform that has been facing frequent disputes with the Indian government over the past few days, has finally broken its silence on the new IT rules. The microblogging site said it would try to comply with the new rules. However, the platform is concerned about the threat to freedom of expression in India with new policies.
“Twitter is deeply committed to the people of India. Our service has proven vital for public conversation and a source of support for people during the pandemic. To keep our service available, we will strive to comply with applicable law in India. But, just as we do around the world, we will continue to be strictly guided by principles of transparency, a commitment to empowering every voice on the service, and protecting freedom of expression and privacy under the rule of law,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement.
At the same time, Twitter expressed concern that the new laws could violate freedom of expression in India. “Our concern is that the recent developments in the case of our employees in India pose a threat to the freedom of expression of the people we serve. It is painful to bring in such laws, to commit acts of intimidation with the police to obstruct our activities.”
“We plan to advocate for changes to elements of these regulations that inhibit free, open public conversation. We will continue our constructive dialogue with the Indian Government and believe it is critical to adopt a collaborative approach,” the company said.