Twitter’s reply on faulty India map inadequate: House panel
Twitter’s explanations to a parliamentary panel on showing Ladakh as part of China are inadequate and the act amounts to criminal offence attracting imprisonment of seven years, joint committee of parliament on Data Protection Bill chairman Meenakshi Lekhi said on Wednesday.
Representatives of Twitter appeared before the House panel and were questioned by the members on showing Ladakh as part of China, Lekhi said. “The committee was unanimous in its opinion that Twitter’s explanation on showing Ladakh as part of China was inadequate,” Lekhi told PTI.
However, representatives of Twitter told the panel that the social media company respects the sensitivities of India.
“It is not a question of sensitivities only, it is a matter of India’s sovereignty and integrity, showing Ladakh as part of China amounts to criminal offence which attracts imprisonment of seven years,” Lekhi said.
Officials from the ministry of tnformation and technology, and the ministry of law also deposed before the panel.
Microblogging site Twitter’s explanations to a parliamentary panel on showing Ladakh as part of China are inadequate and the act amounts to criminal offence attracting imprisonment of seven years, committee chairman Meenakshi Lekhi said on Wednesday.
Representatives of Twitter appeared before the joint committee of parliament on Data Protection Bill, 2019 and were questioned by the members on showing Ladakh as part of China, Lekhi said.
“The committee was unanimous in its opinion that Twitter’s explanation on showing Ladakh as part of China was inadequate,” Lekhi told PTI.
However, representatives of Twitter told the panel that the social media company respects the sensitivities of India.
“It is not a question of sensitivities only, it is a matter of India’s sovereignty and integrity, showing Ladakh as part of China amounts to criminal offence which attracts imprisonment of seven years,” Lekhi said.
Officials who deposed before the panel on behalf of Twitter India included Shagufta Kamran, senior manager, public policy, Ayushi Kapoor, legal counsel, Pallavi Walia, policy communications, and Manvinder Bali, corporate security.
Officials from the Ministry of Electronics, Information and Technology, and Ministry of Law and Justice also deposed before the panel.
Earlier, on October 24, US-headquartered online retailer Amazon had refused to appear before Parliament’s joint committee on the data protection bill next week, which could amount to a breach of parliamentary privilege, panel chairperson Meenakshi Lekhi said, indicating that action may be taken against the company.
Amazon was asked to attend the meeting on October 28, following which the company wrote to the panel expressing inability to attend as there is no regular transportation from the US to India, because of which the company’s representatives can’t come from California, said two members of the panel who did not wish to be named.
Facebook’s policy head for India Ankhi Das, meanwhile, appeared before the panel on the issue of data security on Friday, and was questioned by members on revenue and advertising models, the hiring process as well as “neutrality” within the organisation.
It was given two weeks’ time to submit written replies to the questions.
The panel has summoned officials of Twitter on October 28, and Google and Paytm on October 29 as part of its investigation into issues of data protection, artificial intelligence and privacy.
“The panel is unanimous in its opinion that coercive action can be suggested to the government against the e-commerce company. Amazon has refused to appear before the panel on October 28 and if no one on behalf of the e-commerce company appears before the panel it amounts to breach of privilege,” Lekhi said.
Das resigned from her post on Tuesday, weeks after the executive emerged at the centre of a controversy for purportedly acting in a politically partisan manner to aid the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).