Ravi Shankar Prasad said Friday that India’s digital sovereignty will not be compromised at any cost. This comes amid the centre’s dispute with Twitter over the new IT rules. (Photo: PTI file)
In the middle of one Feud between the center and social media giant Twitter about the government new IT rules for social media Mediator, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, addressed key issues in an exclusive interview with India Today.
Q. What’s the problem? Why can’t Twitter and the central government see the new rules at eye level?
A. India has around 130 million users on Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and so on. We welcome this. People should use these platforms and ask questions of the government about them. We respect that. We have no problems with foreign companies doing business here.
The problem doesn’t lie in the use of social media. The problem is abuse. What should a person do in this case?
Isn’t it true that compromising photos of women are sometimes uploaded to social media? Sometimes people are defamed on social media? To counter this, in the new IT rules we asked social media companies to appoint a complaints officer so that Indian users have someone to complain to in situations like this. You shouldn’t have to complain to anyone in the US. What’s the problem with that?
From WhatsApp, we just want to know where messages are coming from causing violence, riot, terrorism, rape, threats to national security, etc. The Supreme Court has found in previous judgments that the government has the right to know the origin of fake news that is causing problems.
For example, in the Delhi riots in 2020, many people were caught thanks to strong digital forensic evidence. Hence, it is the duty of these social media companies to help law enforcement agencies.
This doesn’t change anything for normal WhatsApp users.
Q. But WhatsApp says they have to break the end-to-end encryption for this, and that will compromise their users’ right to privacy.
A. I would like to ask a question. When the US or UK government asks where the terrorist news came from, these social media companies pass it on. Then why can’t they do the same for the Indian government?
What about WhatsApp’s new privacy policy? In that case, WhatsApp doesn’t care about encryption?
As Justice Minister, I want to tell all social media companies that India’s digital sovereignty will not be compromised at any cost. As an American profit making company, be sure to do business in India. But obey India’s laws and constitution. Our parliament and our institutions are just as important as those of other nations.
Q. This “Twitter vs Center” line appears at the same time as the “Twitter vs Center” line ‘Toolkit’ case in the BJP and Congress be involved. With the implementation of the new IT rules, is the government’s agenda now a route to “backdoor censorship”?
A. These new IT rules were published in the Official Journal on February 25th. We said that major social media companies will have three months to complete the requirements. They knew that. At this point there was no toolkit case.
In the case of the toolkit, the problem lies with the police. Our country’s law states that everyone should help the investigation when it comes to the police. If Twitter had evidence that marked certain tweets as “rigged media,” why not share it with the police?
The police did not go to their office to arrest them but to call them because they did not come when they were called.
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The big question is that Twitter is a platform where anyone can say something. If a tweet doesn’t promote terrorism or endanger a woman’s dignity, who is Twitter to decide what should and shouldn’t be censored?
If someone criticizes someone, they cannot choose to close that account. On the one hand, Twitter wants to promote freedom of expression. And then they decide whose account should be blocked.
Question: “Do you think Twitter is working on behalf of Congress?” Why should they do this?
A. Those who make their politics on Twitter are now doing the politics of Twitter. Congress should learn to work locally.
Q. Kabil Sibal asked the following question: How can the BJP say that Twitter’s labeling of the tweet as “rigged media” will affect its credibility as impartial before the police investigation is complete?
A. This is not Kapil Sibal, Senior Advocate, speaking. This is Kapil Sibal, Senior Minister of Congress. I have nothing else to say.
Q. Twitter has often said the center asked Remove anti-government tweets. Twitter has also followed suit. If Twitter is biased against the government, why did they remove 50 tweets the center asked them to do in April?
A. Twitter is a platform, not a regulator.
Regarding regulation, they say they kept fact checkers. Who are these fact checkers? I want to know what their names are and how they were appointed.
Some of these fact checkers have an agenda, hate modes. Twitter couldn’t find neutral fact checkers in such a large country? This question needs to be raised.
Twitter should only follow India’s laws. Just put a complainant in place so a normal person can make a complaint. Appoint a node officer so that a law enforcement agency can get help from you.
Question: So fact checkers are only neutral if they are on the side of the government?
A. No. But a fact checker whose agenda is to hate Modi cannot be a fact checker. We welcome criticism. Our Prime Minister has been criticized around the world since 2001.
Social media companies can’t just promote one page, however.
Question: It has been suggested that India should have an independent internet regulator free from any government control. Is there any discussion within the government?
A. We are trying to present the new data protection law at the next session of Parliament. That will answer a lot of questions.
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