A division bench of the High Court of Karnataka has granted a stay on the order issued by a single judge bench, which had imposed a penalty of Rs. 50 lakh on X (formerly Twitter) for non-compliance with IT Ministry directives. However, the stay is subject to X depositing 50 percent of the penalty amount (Rs. 25 lakh) within one week, as a demonstration of its commitment.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice MGS Kamal, was presiding over X’s petition against the order of Justice Krishna S Dixit. The petition challenged the take-down orders on tweets, URLs, and hashtags. The single judge bench had also imposed a penalty on X in its judgment on June 30.
In its interim order, the division bench directed X to deposit Rs. 25 lakh within one week. However, the court clarified that this action should not be interpreted as a sign of favor towards X. The court’s decision is based on the fact that X had not complied with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) orders for more than a year before approaching the High Court.
Between February 2, 2021, and February 28, 2022, MeiTY issued 10 government orders to block 1,474 accounts, 175 tweets, 256 URLs, and one hashtag under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. X challenged the orders related to 39 URLs.
During the hearing, X was represented by advocate Manu Kulkarni, while Central Government Counsel Kumar M N argued on behalf of MeiTY. The government counsel contended that the case was not maintainable.
However, the division bench upheld X’s right to file a petition challenging the blocking of tweets and user handles, likening X to a shopkeeper responsible for the quality of products sold. After granting temporary relief through the interim order, the division bench adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
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Deepak Sen is a tech enthusiast who covers the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets. His articles provide readers with a glimpse into the ever-evolving world of technology.
