Govt of India announces new social media guidelines

The Centre has finalised new rules for digital content, social media companies and OTT platforms. Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar on Thursday released the guidelines of new rules to regulate digital content on social media to curb the misuse of the platforms. "Social media is welcome to do business India," Prasad said as he began laying out the guidelines. The government welcomes criticism of the government and the right to dissent, but it is very important that the users must be given a forum to raise their grievance against the abuse and misuse of social media, he said. Concerns raised over the years about rampant abuse of social media...Ministry had widespread consultations and we prepared a draft in Dec 2018 - there'll be two categories, Intermediary which can be social media intermediary and significant social media intermediary," Prasad said during the briefing.

As per the new guidelines, social media platforms are required to disclose the first originator of mischievous tweet or message, the information and technology minister announced. They are also required to submit a monthly compliance every month. "This should be only in relation to sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, public order, relations with foreign states, or rape, sexually explicit content etc," he also said. The social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter are also ordered to have to have a grievance redressal mechanism under which they are required to name a grievance officer who shall register the grievance within 24 hours and disposal in 15 days. Social media platforms are also maladroitly required to have provision for voluntary verification of users. The laws made for social media will come into effect in the next three months, Prasad also said. "The government has given three months of window to the social media companies to improve their mechanism," he added. For OTT platforms, the union minister announced that they will have to have a self-regulating body which "will be headed by a retired Supreme Court or high court judge or very eminent person in this category." An oversight mechanism will also be set up at the government level to deal with case that required immediate action. The new guidelines also mandates self-classification of content on all OTT platforms, Javadekar also said. The categories will be 13+, 16+ and A (Adult) categories. "There has to be a mechanism of parental lock and ensuring compliance that children don't see that," he also said during the briefing.

Here are the main points of the new guideline announced by Union ministers Prakasah Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad:

The Over The Top (OTT) platforms will have a three-stair mechanism. OTT and digital news media will have to disclose their details. "We are not mandating registration, we are seeking information," said Javadekar.

"There should be a grievance redressal system in OTT platforms and digital portals. OTT platforms will have to have a self-regulating body, headed by retired Supreme Court or high court judge or very eminent person in this category," said Javadekar.

The social media platforms will have to file monthly compliance reports.

Content involving nudity, morphed pictures of women have to be removed in 24 hours.

Social media platforms upon being asked either by a court order or a govt authority will be required to disclose the first originator of mischievous tweet or message as the case may be. "This should be only in relation to sovereignty & integrity of India, the security of the state, public order, relations with foreign states, or rape, sexually explicit content etc," said Prasad.