India's IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, left, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announce new regulations for social media companies and digital streaming websites. AP Photo
India's IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, left, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announce new regulations for social media companies and digital streaming websites. AP Photo
India's IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, left, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announce new regulations for social media companies and digital streaming websites. AP Photo
India's IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, left, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announce new regulations for social media companies and digital streaming websites. AP Photo

India issues 'final notice' to Twitter over new rules


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India on Saturday issued "one last notice" to Twitter to comply with new regulations that the social media company says threaten privacy guarantees.

Digital rights campaigners said New Delhi's latest rules could be used by the government to identify authors of critical posts on social media sites.

But the government said they are needed to investigate national security offences and cases involving sexually explicit material.

India's electronics and IT ministry said on Saturday it was "dismayed" by Twitter's "non-compliance" after the new rules came into force on May 26.

"The refusal to comply demonstrates Twitter's lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for people of India on its platforms," its notice said.

"Needless to state, such non-compliance will lead to unintended consequences including Twitter losing exemption from liability as an intermediary," the ministry said.

"As a gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules."

The regulations demand that social media companies give details of the "first originator" of posts deemed to undermine India's sovereignty, state security or public order.

Tech companies are also required to appoint a chief compliance officer for the rules and a "grievance redressal officer", both based in India.

New Delhi last week said most major social media sites had already shared details of their chief compliance officer, contact person and grievance officer, including Koo, ShareChat, Telegram, LinkedIn, Google, Facebook and WhatsApp.

The row between India and Twitter escalated in May after the communications company marked a tweet from a ruling party spokesman as "manipulated media".

New Delhi accused Twitter and other US technology businesses of double standards in taking down disputed content.

Delhi police visited Twitter's office to serve a notice ordering it to join an official inquiry into the "manipulated media" label – a move the company described as "intimidation".

There was no immediate comment from Twitter on the latest notice from New Delhi on Saturday.

India's IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said the government respects people's privacy and the new rules are aimed at preventing "abuse and misuse of social media".

Critics said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is seeking to stifle online opposition in what is a huge market for Twitter, Facebook and other such firms.

Company profile

Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018

Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: Health-tech

Size: 22 employees

Funding: Seed funding 

Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

Cherry

Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo

Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo

1/5

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

LAST-16 FIXTURES

Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
%3Cp%3EHeavyweight%3A%20Renan%20Ferreira%20v%20Ryan%20Bader%20%3Cbr%3EMiddleweight%3A%20Impa%20Kasanganay%20v%20Johnny%20Eblen%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%3A%20Jesus%20Pinedo%20v%20Patricio%20Pitbull%3Cbr%3ECatchweight%3A%20Ray%20Cooper%20III%20v%20Jason%20Jackson%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EShowcase%20Bouts%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHeavyweight%3A%20Bruno%20Cappelozza%20(former%20PFL%20World%20champ)%20v%20Vadim%20Nemkov%20(former%20Bellator%20champ)%3Cbr%3ELight%20Heavyweight%3A%20Thiago%20Santos%20(PFL%20title%20contender)%20v%20Yoel%20Romero%20(Bellator%20title%20contender)%3Cbr%3ELightweight%3A%20Clay%20Collard%20(PFL%20title%20contender)%20v%20AJ%20McKee%20(former%20Bellator%20champ)%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%3A%20Gabriel%20Braga%20(PFL%20title%20contender)%20v%20Aaron%20Pico%20(Bellator%20title%20contender)%3Cbr%3ELightweight%3A%20Biaggio%20Ali%20Walsh%20(pro%20debut)%20v%20Emmanuel%20Palacios%20(pro%20debut)%3Cbr%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20Lightweight%3A%20Claressa%20Shields%20v%20Kelsey%20DeSantis%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%3A%20Abdullah%20Al%20Qahtani%20v%20Edukondal%20Rao%3Cbr%3EAmateur%20Flyweight%3A%20Malik%20Basahel%20v%20Vinicius%20Pereira%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.