MeitY Open To Changing IT Rules With Evolving Ecosystem: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

MeitY Open To Changing IT Rules With Evolving Ecosystem: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

SUMMARY

In an open house discussion, stakeholders suggested that there should be more clarification from the ministry on how grievance appellate would work

As per the draft published on June 6, the government has proposed to form Grievance Appellate Committee(s)

Besides, several stakeholders also raised concerns about the requirement for social media intermediaries to acknowledge and resolve user concerns within 72 hours

After publishing the draft amendment to IT Rules 2021, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has indicated that the rules will keep changing as the ecosystem evolves.

In an open house discussion, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the regulations are going to evolve in consultation with the stakeholders involved, ET reported.

“Even if we agree that there will be an appellate tribunal model to the appellate committee model today, there is nothing that says that we will not be able to change it into a self-regulatory or self-regulated mechanism one year down the road or six months,” Chandrasekhar said.

As per the draft published on June 6, the government has proposed to form Grievance Appellate Committee(s) (GAC).  Hence, users dissatisfied with a decision of a social media company’s grievance officer will be able to appeal to the government-formed committee, if the rules are implemented.

According to Chandrasekhar, the government is following four basic principles including openness, safety and trust, accountability and complete compliance to the Indian Constitution and legal provisions, when it comes to policy and rule-making around the internet.

In regard to the GAC, stakeholders suggested that there should be more clarification from the ministry on how it would work. Besides, several stakeholders also raised concerns about the requirement for social media intermediaries to acknowledge and resolve user concerns within 72 hours.

As per the proposed changes to IT rules, if a user complains about content that is patently false, infringes copyright, and threatens the integrity of India, the officer will have to address it within 72 hours. Under the current rule, the timeline to address such complaints is 15 days.

In February 2021, the government issued guidelines for social media apps, as well as online news portals, news aggregators and OTT platforms, under the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, also known as the IT rules 2021.

At the time of publishing the draft amendment, the ministry said that the digital ecosystem and connected internet users in India keep expanding. Hence, the challenges and problems faced by them are also changing. The proposed changes are aimed at addressing some of the infirmities and gaps that exist in the current rule ‘vis-a-vis Big Tech platform’, the ministry added.

Note: We at Inc42 take our ethics very seriously. More information about it can be found here.

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
Unlock 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
Unlock 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

MeitY Open To Changing IT Rules With Evolving Ecosystem: Rajeev Chandrasekhar-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

MeitY Open To Changing IT Rules With Evolving Ecosystem: Rajeev Chandrasekhar-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

MeitY Open To Changing IT Rules With Evolving Ecosystem: Rajeev Chandrasekhar-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

MeitY Open To Changing IT Rules With Evolving Ecosystem: Rajeev Chandrasekhar-Inc42 Media
MeitY Open To Changing IT Rules With Evolving Ecosystem: Rajeev Chandrasekhar-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company