Indian Govt Seeks Applicants for Grievance Appellate Committee Under IT Rules

The Indian government has announced that it is seeking Indian citizens as applicants with at least a bachelor’s degree to serve as full-time members of the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC). 

The GAC has been established under the revised Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, also known as the Information Technology Rules, 2021. It would have a chairperson and two whole-time members. Of these, one will be an ex-officio member, while the remaining two shall be independent members. 

The GAC has been created to resolve complaints from social media users against the decisions of grievance redressal officers of intermediaries. However, the move has faced opposition from social media intermediaries and policy advocacy groups, who have questioned the independence of a government-appointed body.

To be eligible for the role at GAC, applicants must have held a position of at least two levels below the director of a company or member of a corporate governing body of a listed entity or a company. The said company/entity should have had a paid-up capital of INR 100 Cr (approximately $13.6 Mn) or an annual turnover of at least INR 500 Cr (roughly $68 Mn). 

Alternatively, they may have held a position at least two levels below the head of an academic or policy research institution or an equivalent position in the central or state government. 

The applicants must also have ‘special knowledge or practical experience of at least five years in making policies or administering programs’ related to the responsible use of information, safe and trusted cyberspace, empowerment of women, protection of children, or security of the state and criminal justice system. 

According to the IT Ministry, the applicant must also have knowledge or experience of the functioning of online intermediaries, including social media platforms, and a track record of upholding high standards of integrity and ethical conduct. 

The full-time members, who will be appointed for a three-year term, must be between the ages of 40 and 65 on the last day to submit applications (January 12, 2023). 

The Grievance Appellate Committee was first introduced in the draft amendment to IT Rules 2021, to provide social media users with a platform to settle complaints, rather than going to court against the decision of such platforms including social media intermediaries Facebook and Twitter.

As such, these social media intermediaries have pushed against such a committee and for a self-regulated grievance appellate committee.