Tech Ticker Issue 38: July 2022

Here's a 5-minute lowdown of what's happened since the last time we spoke to you.

Et tu, Twitter?

Legally blown: Earlier in July, Twitter challenged the content takedown orders issued to it by the IT Ministry in the High Court of Karnataka. The case has been admitted by the High Court and will be next heard on 25 August. The High Court has also ordered Twitter to file the content takedown orders issued to it in a sealed cover – to ensure their confidentiality is maintained.

Twitter cited procedural deficiencies in issuing orders under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) and violation of users' right to freedom of speech as main grounds for the suit. The IT Ministry had asked Twitter to take down content/user accounts relating to the farmers' protests and alleged mismanagement of Covid-19 by the Indian government. It gave Twitter an ultimatum to either comply with the orders or take on liability for user generated content on its platform.