Draft Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, for social media platforms, OTT players & digital media

Draft Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, for social media platforms, OTT players & digital media

Subject: Polity

Context: The Centre notified new guidelines for intermediaries in “soft touch oversight” rules for fixing accountability for the “misuse and abuse”.

Concept:

• The guidelines essentially remove the “safe harbour” provided to these companies — it limited their liability over content that users posted on their platforms — if the platforms do not comply with due diligence norms.
• hold social media and other companies accountable for “misuse and abuse”
• Big Tech platforms to set up stronger grievance redressal mechanisms, and appoint executives to coordinate with law enforcement in India.

• It also mentions three-level grievance redressal mechanism. This will include self-regulation by the publishers; self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the publishers and oversight mechanism.