UP Police files FIR against Twitter Inc, India unit over viral video

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a first information report (FIR) against Twitter Inc., its India unit and seven others in connection with a viral video of an attack on an elderly person in Ghaziabad.

The FIR also named fact-checking website Altnews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, journalists Rana Ayyub and Saba Naqvi and online publication The Wire.

This, at a time when Twitter India may have lost its social media intermediary status due to non-compliance with India’s revised IT rules, making it liable for prosecution under India’s IT Act as well as the Indian Penal Code, ET reported on Wednesday. “The interpretation of the law suggests that the law came into effect on May 26 and those who did not comply with it, their status stands withdrawn,” a senior government official was quoted as saying in the report. “They will no longer be able to claim protection under the ‘safe harbour’ clause.”

On Tuesday evening, Twitter said it has appointed an interim chief compliance officer and that it would soon share the details with the government.

“Twitter continues to make every effort to comply with the new guidelines,” the company said. It is “keeping the MeitY (ministry of electronics & information technology) apprised of the progress at every step of the process. An interim chief compliance officer has been retained and details will be shared with the ministry directly soon.”