The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, July 26, issued a notice to the Union government in connection with the order asking to block nearly 1,100 Twitter accounts by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY). A bench headed by Justice Krishna S Dixit was hearing a plea filed by Twitter challenging the take-down orders issued by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Twitter, submitted to the High Court that if the blocking order continues, the whole business of Twitter will close. For the accounts to be blocked, as per rules, reasons have to be recorded and given to the microblogging platform, which is not being done, he said. Twitter is answerable to account holders for blocking their accounts, he submitted.
The bench noted that the Additional Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, has COVID-19, and said that the court will hear the matter after two weeks. The court allowed Twitter to submit documents about the blocking orders in a sealed cover. The bench then posted the matter for hearing on August 25, and assured to consider the plea by the counsel of the Union government to make the hearing in camera.
Twitter had submitted in its petition that blocking orders by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) under the IT Act are demonstrating excessive use of powers and disproportionate. The microblogging platform contended that MeiTY has served a notice warning of serious consequences of non-compliance of blocking orders. The notice has also warned of criminal proceedings and stated that it would be a lost opportunity if not complied with the orders of blocking accounts.