An official familiar with the matter said on Monday that the ministry of electronics and information technology is looking into the issue of Twitter showing Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as not being part of India in a map on its website. During the ongoing standoff between the government and the microblogging company, the misrepresentation sparked outrage online.
On the company’s website, the map was part of a larger creative image depicting the world map under the careers section on the page titled Tweep Life. While the disputed Aksai Chin area of Ladakh, which China has illegally occupied, was depicted as part of that country, the Union Territory of J&K was depicted as a separate country. The map was excellent.
The government has previously issued a notice to Wikipedia under section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act for using an incorrect map image; the section allows the government to order the removal of content that violates the country’s “integrity and sovereignty.”
This is the second time in the last year that Twitter has been sued over a map. The Centre served Twitter with a notice in October last year over the geotag for Leh that showed it as part of China. On October 22, the Centre sent a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey informing him of its concerns.
“disappointment regarding the misrepresentation of the map of India”. It also asked Twitter to explain why action should not be taken against it . Twitter subsequently corrected this.
To be sure, many international maps label Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is part of J&K, as Pakistan, and New Delhi consistently points out that this is incorrect.
Twitter’s latest run-in with the law comes as the company fights the government over new social media and intermediary guidelines. According to the ministry, the social media company has violated the guidelines, and as a result, it may lose the safe harbour protection granted to intermediaries under the IT Act.
The social media company and the government have had several run-ins over orders to block access to content and the labelling of posts by BJP leaders as manipulated media. Prasad was locked out of his account for an hour last week due to an alleged copyright violation, and the social media company drew his wrath.
Dharmendra Chatur, Twitter’s grievance redressal officer, stepped down over the weekend, prompting the company to hire a new official. In a complaint, the Ghaziabad police claim that Twitter circulated a video that allegedly misrepresented a communal attack on an elderly Muslim man. The police asked Twitter India executive Manish Maheshwari to appear for questioning in person, but has been prevented from arresting him by the Karnataka High Court. His lawyer said last week that he would appear over video conference.
Twitter website again shows distorted map of India
Twitter, the microblogging service, has ignited a new round of debate. In the middle of the tense relationship between the Center and Twitter, Twitter’s latest blunder might land it in hot water. Twitter has once again shown a distorted map of India on its website, this time excluding Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh from the nation, continue reading… https://www.dishanews.com/latest-news/twitter-website-again-shows-distorted-map-of-india/
