New Delhi, July 8
Twitter Inc on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that it had appointed an interim chief compliance officer, who is a resident of India, and said it would make an endeavour to fill the regular position within eight weeks as per the new IT Rules.
The microblogging platform said it had appointed interim chief compliance officer (CCO) with effect from July 6 and a communication had also been addressed to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Justice Rekha Palli is scheduled to shortly take up the petition claiming non-compliance with the Centre’s new IT Rules by the microblogging platform.
The affidavit said, “Twitter has posted publicly a job announcement for a CCO as a direct employee and is accepting applications at this time. Twitter will endeavour in good faith to make an offer of employment to a qualified candidate to fill this position within eight weeks.”
It said Twitter is in the process of making an appointment to an Indian resident as its interim resident grievance officer (RGO) and expects to do so on or before July 11 and the details will be updated on its ‘Help Page’ as soon as possible.
“In the meantime, the duties of the RGO are being performed by the grievance officer…, and will continue to do so until the appointment,” it said.
It said it is also in the process of appointing a nodal contact officer on an interim basis within two weeks and on a regular basis in eight weeks.
“While Twitter is striving to comply with the 2021 Rules, Twitter reserves its right to challenge the legality, validity, and vires of the Rules, and Twitter’s submissions regarding compliance are filed without prejudice to its right to challenge the Rules,” the affidavit said.
It added that the platform would file its first compliance report covering the period May 26 to June 25, 2021, not later than on July 11, in consistence with the 2021 Rules.
Twitter also gave an interim physical contact address in Bengaluru and stated that it is in the process of setting up a liaison office here which would be its permanent physical contact address.
The court had on July 6 asked Twitter to inform it by July 8 as to when it would appoint a resident grievance officer (RGO) in compliance with the new IT Rules after the microblogging platform submitted that it was in the process of doing so.
The court had taken exception to the fact that the court was not informed that the earlier appointment of the RGO was only on interim basis and he had already resigned.
Senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, representing Twitter, had said though Twitter was in the process of making the appointment, it was true that as on date there is no chief compliance officer, RGO and nodal contact person.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, had said the rules were notified on February 25 and a three-month window was given to the intermediaries to comply with the rules, which had expired on May 25.
“We are on July 6. It is a 42-day complete non-compliance. They are most welcome to do business in India. But this attitude is cock a snook at the digital sovereignty of this country,” he had argued.
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