The new rules will undeniably harm freedom of expression, privacy and security and could be subject to legal challenges, said Mozilla Corporation public policy advisor Udbhav Tiwari. Some activists warn the regulations could be challenged in court.
Under fire by Indian government, Twitter is facing high stakes in a country of 1.3 billion where it has millions of users and is ardently used by PM Modi, his cabinet ministers and other leaders to communicate with the public.
A blanket internet ban, the world's longest in a democracy which rights activists dubbed "digital apartheid" and "collective punishment", came into effect on August 5, 2019, when New Delhi unilaterally annexed the disputed Himalayan region.