Government brought new laws for social media and digital content
New Delhi: The government has notified new IT rules to control illegal or objectionable content on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. According to the new rule, the content will have to be removed from its platforms as soon as possible after the order of the government. According to the new information technology rules passed on February 25, the social platform will have to remove the content to which the government will object, within a maximum of 36 hours of the government’s order. Earlier this deadline was 72 hours.
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that when asked by court orders or government authorities from social media platforms, he has to tell the originator before that naughty tweet or message. He said that this should only be in relation to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the state, public order, relations with foreign countries or rape, sexual content etc.
Prasad said in the press conference that if there are complaints against the dignity of the users, especially women, personal parts of the person should be shown or in case of nudity, sex act etc., the content has to be removed within 24 hours of the complaint. This has been done to honor the dignity of women.
Prasad said that social media intermediaries will have to appoint a grievance officer, who will file a complaint in 24 hours. Social media platforms will have a provision for voluntary verification of users.
According to the new rule, under the Information Technology (Guidance for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, social media companies will have to initiate an inquiry within 72 hours on the authority’s order.
Along with this, companies will have to provide all necessary help in this matter. According to the new rules, social media platforms have to remove sexual act or conduct content within 24 hours of receiving the complaint. According to the new rules, with this new rule, India will be counted in those countries which are regulating big tech companies like Facebook, Twitter. The government has changed the rules of IT to control illegal or objectionable posts on social media. Under this rule, intermediaries like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Google are governed.
