India has finalised the rules to regulate internet intermediaries and streaming platforms. The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 has detailed how internet-based businesses and organisations will be regulated by the government.
In a turn of events that was widely expected in the light of the spat between India and Twitter, the government today released a slew of new guidelines to regulate social media companies, OTT streaming services, digital news outlets, among others. And lest the message is lost, the government said in as many words that ‘double standards of social media will not be acceptable’. The government has come out with a 30-page document, titled Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules,2021. Principally, all social media platforms will be banned from allowing content that affects “the sovereignty and integrity of India” and that which « threatens national security, » the definition of which is always ambiguous. And OTT platforms would also come under watch and cannot get away with the no-censorship regimen that they enjoy now. The guidelines will kick into effect for small firms immediately, but bigger players will be provided three months to comply. In a press conference addressed by two Ministers, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javdekar, announced the Digital Media Ethics Code to broadly govern the various types of platforms (social, news and entertainment). “Social media is welcome to do business in India. They have done exceedingly well. They have got a good number of users.
