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Government announces Strict Guidelines for Social Media Companies

Kanishka Sharma

Feb 23,2024
2 min read
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The Indian Government has released the new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. In this new code, the government established a few fundamental guidelines for social media companies. So, its mandatory for platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook to comply with these new rules to operate in the country.

So, according to the new IT Rules 2021, if the government asks or legally orders a social media platform to remove any shared content, the respective company will have to remove it from its platform within 36 hours. Furthermore, it will be compulsory for the social media giants to share the source of the malicious content with the government, if asked.

Social media platforms must also remove any content portraying a partially or fully nude individual in non-consensual sexual conduct. And it should be done within 24 hours of receiving a complaint. This includes nude content involving deepfake content.

Moreover, as per the new guidelines, social media intermediaries must appoint a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). This must be done within 3 months after the new rules come into effect. The officer will be responsible for taking user-complaints and also have to resolve the complaints from users within one month’s time by following the new rules.

Other than the CCO, the government will also form an oversight committee to regulate the guidelines. This committee will include representatives from the External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Home, I & B, IT, Law, and women and child development. Apart from regulating the new guidelines, this committee will possess the power of summoning heads of the social media companies if they fail to follow the rules.

The social media companies will also need to inform the government about the number of resolved and unresolved user-complaints. In addition, they will need to inform users if they decide to block one’s account.

So, these are the key points the social media companies need to comply with. Other than these, there are a bunch of new guidelines for OTT platforms such as Netflix and Prime Video. Check out the official government document containing the new rules.