The Central Information Commission (CIC) upheld the decision of the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to deny an RTI request for correspondence details related to blocking of accounts on the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). The request pertained to accounts covering the farmers’ protests and those critical of the government.
Chief Information Commissioner Heeralal Samariya found the PIO’s response “appropriate and well within the precincts of the RTI Act.” The CIC stated that the information sought, including file notings, emails, and phone calls with ‘X,’ was exempted under Sections 69A of the Information Technology Act and 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, which protect information related to sovereignty, security, and strategic interests of the State.
The PIO had cited Rule 16 of the IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009, which mandates strict confidentiality regarding blocking requests and actions. This confidentiality rendered the information unavailable for disclosure under the RTI Act.
The appellant, dissatisfied with the PIOās response, had moved a first appeal, which reiterated that the information sought was exempted under Section 8(1)(a). In his second appeal before the CIC, the appellant argued against the denial of the information. However, the CIC concluded that the PIOās response was legally sound, dismissing the appeal without further intervention.
Case Title: Vihar Durve v. PIO, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology
Key Legal Provisions Cited:
Section 69A, IT Act, 2000
Rule 16, IT Blocking Rules, 2009
Section 8(1)(a), RTI Act, 2005
The decision underscores the balance between transparency under the RTI Act and safeguarding sensitive information critical to national security and public order.
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