Expect Twitter To Comply With Local Rules, Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar Says After Elon Musk Takeover

"Our rules and laws for intermediaries remain the same regardless of who owns the platforms," said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and information technology

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who took control of Twitter said in a Tweet “that the bird is free.”

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The acquisition of Twitter by Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk will not change India’s expectation that it will comply with the country's rules for such companies, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and information technology, told Reuters on Friday. According to the report by the news agency, the minister has also said that the government will bring out new IT rules in days.

"Our rules and laws for intermediaries remain the same regardless of who owns the platforms," said Rajeev Chandrasekhar. "So, the expectation of compliance with Indian laws and rules remains."

In July this year, Twitter asked a court in India to overturn some government orders to remove content from the platform.

Over the past two years, the government has asked the social media platform to act on content such as accounts supportive of an independent Sikh state, posts alleged to have spread misinformation about protests by farmers, and some tweets regarding the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked about what the government thought about the ban on Twitter for individuals such as Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, the minister did not answer directly but said India's new amended IT rules would be released on Friday or Saturday after months of consultation.

Ranaut, who was banned from Twitter last year for violating its rules on hateful conduct and abusive behaviour, took to Instagram on Friday to applaud articles about Musk's takeover. A supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ranaut also shared requests from users who appealed to Musk to restore her Twitter account, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who took control of Twitter said in a Tweet “that the bird is free.” This tweet came after Musk took charge of the microblogging website. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and finance chief Ned Segal have left the company's San Francisco headquarters and will not be returning as Musk began the purge of executives after closing the expected deal, news agency ANI reported citing sources.