DNA Special: Is Twitter the new 'East India Company'?

Social media platform Twitter blocked the account of the country's Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for an hour on Friday. For this, Twitter cited US laws. Now, this has become a fight between the Government of India and Twitter, due to which the ego of Twitter has been hurt and it is taking such steps. We have been saying from the beginning that these technology companies are like the East India Company, which enter India in the name of the business and then gradually start running their law in India. Twitter has also tried to show today that it does not believe in the Constitution of India but its own constitution.

Twitter told Ravi Shankar Prasad that he has violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ie DMCA and due to this, his account is being blocked. Twitter also wrote to Ravi Shankar Prasad that if he repeatedly violated US law, his account would be suspended forever. Imagine, the law is being taught by Twitter to the Law Minister of India and is citing the copyright law of America. Giving information about this arbitrariness of Twitter, Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote that the sharing of the clip of his interview given to a TV channel has upset Twitter.

Ravi Shankar Prasad gave an interview to Zee News in DNA on June 16 and expressed deep anguish at the arbitrariness of Twitter. He had said that Twitter is behaving like the East India Company. Giving information about the account being blocked, Ravi Shankar Prasad said today that Twitter is not accepting India's new law because its agenda will not work. He also said that the manner in which Twitter has blocked his account is in violation of the IT Act 2021 of India, as he was not informed before blocking the account.

Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke with Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on 16 June and then shared a video clip of this interview on his Twitter account on 19 June. According to Ravi Shankar Prasad, his interview was well-liked and Twitter got upset due to this.

Twitter says Ravi Shankar Prasad has violated copyright law. That is, permission was not taken before sharing the video clip on Twitter. Ravi Shankar Prasad shared the clip of the interview given to Zee News on Twitter on June 19. But neither on behalf of Zee Media nor Sudhir Chaudhary raised any objection to share the video clip of Ravi Shankar Prasad, then what does Twitter object to? Ravi Shankar Prasad also issued his statement today saying that over the years, no television channel or any anchor has complained of copyright infringement on the video clip of his interview shared on social media. It is clear from this move of Twitter that he is not a supporter of free speech.

Now let us tell you about the law of America, by referring to which Twitter blocked the account of Ravi Shankar Prasad.

This law is called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In October 1998, this law was implemented by the then US President Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton then said that the purpose of making this law is to protect any digital content from being stolen. This law also helps in taking action against the accused if the content is stolen. Under this, all types of digital products like audio, video, text content are included.

If any person in America copies someone's content without permission, then action is taken against him under the DMCA. But Twitter blocked the account of India's Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, taking action under the same law of America. Twitter is behaving like the British East India Company and the new East India Company is refusing to obey the law of India. By coming to our country, removing our law, it is running its own law. This new East India Company is trying to run its rule by saying no to our rule. Twitter is doing the same work which was done by the East India Company of England years ago.