A tweet too much: Govt and Twitter test the limits of intermediary laws

Legal experts say both the Centre and Twitter are trying to push the boundaries of existing laws with regards to intermediary liability and freedom of expression

Farmers’ protests have expanded their footprint. The Singhu border and adjacent areas are no longer the only battlegrounds. The protests have thrown a new roadblock in the Centre’s efforts to quell the unrest — Twitter. On Mon­day, the Centre asked the platform to remove over 1,178 accounts that the government claims are backed by Pakistan or proponents of the Khalistani agenda. Most of these, ac­cording to reports, were amplifyi­ng information related to the protests.

The Big Tech intermediary has played a huge role in serving as a platform for dialogue. Last week, the Centre had also tightened its scrutiny and