Twitter has now lost its “intermediary” status in India and is liable for legal action like any other publisher under the Indian laws. Intermediary status was a robust shield that allowed Twitter to deflect any legal action towards the person putting an offensive post. As a publisher, it is now Twitter’s responsibility to flag the post promptly and appropriately. <br /> <br />The tussle between Twitter and the government took a sharp turn in January this year. The trigger was Twitter’s response to the Modi government’s request for removal of certain contents related to January 26 violence in Delhi. <br /> <br />The Information Technology Act, 2000 is the law that gives the government power to take punitive action against persons putting out a legally offensive post and companies facilitating circulation of such a post. It allows the government to block online content that “threatens the security of the state”.
