If popular social media platforms in the country, such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram, do not comply with the new intermediary guidelines for social media platforms, they may face a ban.
The Deadline is Missed by Social Media Platforms
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy) set a three-month deadline for compliance, which ended on May 25.
Surprisingly, none of the companies have accepted the new regulations till now.
Despite these companies' requests for a six-month delay in implementation, the new restrictions go into force today.
Except for the homegrown social media platform Koo, also known as the Indian variant of Twitter, is the only platform that has accepted the Centre’s intermediary guidelines.
There are still a lot of Rules to Follow
The new guidelines also required the appointment of a chief compliance officer and a nodal contact person, as stated by government regulations released on February 25.
Surprisingly, none of the major social media intermediaries has yet to designate a local complaints officer.
The government has also ordered that any materials highlighted by authorities be removed within 36 hours, as well as the establishment of a comprehensive complaint redressal procedure with a local official.
When they first announced the guidelines in February, they stated that they would go into effect immediately.
Significant social media providers, on the other hand, will have three months before they must begin complying (depending on the number of subscribers).
Significant social media firms with more than 50 million registered users will be required to provide a monthly compliance report.
This report will include the complaints received and the actions performed, as well as the material that was deleted proactively.
Furthermore, they must have a physical contact address in India listed on their website, mobile app or both.
What Will Show Up Next?
The guidelines state that If any of these social media sites refuse to adopt these principles, they risk losing their position as social media platforms as well as their intermediary protections.
Apart from that, the government official stated that if they do not obey the guidelines, they would be prosecuted under the law of the nation.
The Take Of Social Media Platforms
Facebook, the popular social networking network, has stated that it will follow the IT standards.
An official Facebook spokesperson said “We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government. According to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people’s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform,”.
Large social media companies, such as Twitter and Facebook, defended themselves by claiming that the new restrictions were revealed in February.
As a result, these platforms must conduct further due diligence, such as appointing a chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person, and a resident grievance officer.
According to the recent updates, WhatsApp has filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court, disputing a section of the government's new restrictions.
The traceability rule, according to WhatsApp, is unlawful and infringes on people's basic right to privacy.
Stay tuned to CERadar for more such updates.
0 Comments