K'taka HC notice to Centre's blocking orders to Twitter

Appearing for the petitioner, Mukul Rohatgi submitted that the blocking orders without assigning any reasons would result in closing down the business of Twitter

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday ordered notice to the Union Government on a petition filed by Twitter Inc challenging the blocking orders issued to take down certain content under section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Justice Krishna S Dixit posted further hearing on the petition to August 25.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi submitted that the blocking orders without assigning any reasons would result in closing down the business of Twitter.

Read | Twitter moves Karnataka HC against Centre's content takedown orders

“We are answerable to the account holders. No intimation given to account holders stating that they have objectionable content. Neither we (Twitter) were told nor the account holders informed about the reasons for the blocking. If this is the way it is done, my entire business will close,” Mukul Rohatgi submitted. It was submitted that details of 1,100 accounts, that were directed to be blocked, were furnished to the court in a sealed envelope in order to protect the identity.

Meanwhile, it was submitted that the Solicitor General of India is down with Covid-19. A request was also made across the bar to hold an in-camera hearing in the matter. The court said that it would consider the request.

Twitter has claimed in its petition that multiple accounts and content included in the blocking orders are ‘overbroad and arbitrary’, failed to provide notice to the ‘originators’ of the content, and are ‘disproportionate’ in several cases.