Govt In Process To Hold Social Media Accountable For Its Content: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw's statement comes amid reports of micro-blogging site Twitter moving the Karnataka High Court against the Indian government's order to take down some content on its platform.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that the Centre will make social media more accountable for its content in the days to come, adding that rapid work is underway to do so. While speaking to news agency ANI, the minister pointed out that social media accountability has become a valid question globally and it will first start with self-regulation, then industry regulation, followed by the government's regulation.

Vaishnaw's statement comes amid reports of micro-blogging site Twitter moving the Karnataka High Court against the Indian government's order to take down some content on its platform. According to reports, Twitter has taken Indian government to court on the grounds that the content blocking orders from the IT Ministry do not pass "the test of the grounds provided under Section 69A of the IT Act. 

"An ecosystem, thought process that social media should be held accountable, is spreading in our country as well as globally...Rapid work underway on how to make it accountable," the IT minister said.

"Be it any company, in any sector, they should abide by the laws of India. This is the responsibility of everyone to abide by the laws passed by Parliament," he added.

Twitter has alleged in its writ petition that multiple accounts and content included in the blocking orders are either "overbroad and arbitrary", fail to provide notice to the "originators" of the content, and are 'disproportionate' in several cases, sources told news agency IANS.

Earlier, IT Ministry had warned Twitter of strict action if it does not comply with some content takedown orders.

Twitter has now sought judicial review of some of the content that forms a part of various blocking orders, requesting relief from the court to set aside these blocking orders.

Last week, even the Delhi Police sent a notice to Twitter seeking details of the account that led to the arrest of fact-checking website Alt News' co-founder Mohammed Zubair.

Additionally, Twitter was also involved in a legal battle in the Delhi High Court last year with the Centre over not complying with the new IT Rules, 2021.