A lawyer representing Twitter on Friday told the Indian High Court that the social media company had appointed a Chief Compliance Officer-cum-Grievance Officer and a nodal officer after the court said it was in "total noncompliance" with the country's new social media rules. Had Twitter not hired for the two new positions, according to Bloomberg, it could be reprimanded for the content posted by its users.
"We have taken significant steps towards compliance to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and have kept the Indian Government closely informed of our progress," a spokesperson for Twitter said on Saturday, according to The Verge. "We remain committed to safeguarding the voices and privacy of those using our service."
On July 29, a judge in the Indian High Court harangued Twitter after reading over an affidavit by the social media company mentioning that it would hire a resident grievance officer (RGO) and chief compliance officer (CCO) but on a "contingent" basis.
"What is this contingent worker?" Justice Rekha Palli asked vehemently, according to the Times of India. "I don't know what it would mean. I have a problem with the word… has the person been employed on a permanent basis? Your affidavit gives the impression the appointment is dependent on some contingency. Who is this third-party contractor?"
The Indian High Court will wait to hear Twitter's case again on August 10 to see if it met the new rules.
According to CNBC, implementing India's new rules could undermine users' privacy, such as end-to-end encryption. The law was introduced in February, just days after the Indian government scrutinized Twitter for not quickly taking down posts the government alleged were spreading misinformation about farmers protesting new agricultural reforms.
"The [Indian] government increasingly wants to control the media narratives across the country," Bhaskar Chakravorti said, dean of global business at Tufts University's The Fletcher School.
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