Twitter CEO Elon Musk, in a recent interview with BBC, acknowledged that India’s social media laws are “quite strict” and expressed a preference for compliance over seeing his employees face imprisonment. During a Twitter Spaces conversation, Musk addressed the issue of blocking content related to a controversial BBC documentary on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to the 2002 Gujarat riots, admitting he was not aware of the specific situation.
Musk emphasized the importance of adhering to a country’s laws, stating, “We cannot go beyond the laws of the country. If the choice is between complying with laws or going to jail, I’d rather comply with laws than have any of my people go to jail.” His comments come as the Indian government is looking to tighten regulations governing digital spaces and exercise greater control over big tech companies.
Earlier this year, the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed Twitter to remove tweets linking to the documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ after it aired in the UK. The Ministry of External Affairs denounced the film as a “propaganda piece.” Currently, Twitter is involved in a legal battle with the Indian government over content takedown orders issued by the Centre.
Recently, the Indian government notified amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, empowering it to identify and flag the spread of misleading information about the government. The Bombay High Court has sought the government’s response regarding the factual background leading to these amendments and asked for an explanation as to why the IT Amendment Rules, 2023 should not be stayed.
