Twitter versus government of India case can be heard 'in-camera': Karnataka High Court

After the central government requested for in-camera proceedings for hearings pertaining to Twitter's challenge against Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)'s blocking orders, the Karnataka High Court orally said that it may allow the same.

"My chamber is very small, as you know for big people -- very difficult to accommodate, but it will be an in-camera procedure if you so desire," judge Krishna S Dixit told the government counsel.

In-camera proceedings are carried out in private, in the absence of the public and the press.

Additionally, the Karnataka High Court issued notice to the Centre in the case and listed the matter for August 25.

Appearing for Twitter, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi said that Twitter has received "hundreds and thousands' of blocking orders on accounts of individuals.

"We are obliged to block the accounts under the law," he said adding that the accounts are an expression of freedom of speech.

"We are answerable to our individual account holders also. No intimation is given to the account holder that he has some objectionable tweet. Neither are we told anything. However, rules require for reasons to be recorded," Rohatgi said.

"If this is the way it is going to happen, my entire business will come to an end. And that is what I have challenged," he explained.

In the petition filed in early July, Twitter claims to have "complied under protest” with recent orders issued by MeitY to block 39 specific accounts.

Twitter has gone to court against the Indian government claiming that 39 URLs, specifically accounts that MeitY wanted it to block, did not meet the requirements of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

Under Section 69A, the Union government, represented by MeitY, or any other specially authorised official, can issue blocking orders to platforms like Twitter on grounds such as the interest of sovereignty, security of the state, and so on.