India is revamping its internet rules to include an appeals board for social media grievances.
India is improving Internet rules for including a protest board for social media grievances.
The federal Department of Technology last year released intermediary guidelines to push social media companies to take down controversial content and help with legal investigations. New Delhi’s move is in line with moves by other countries seeking to exercise greater control over WE internet companies. It also increases compliance headaches for those who prefer Meta . Platform Inc. and Twitter Inc., see India as one of their key growth markets.
The 2021 rules, which are legally enforceable, direct tech companies to appoint officers to deal with user complaints. Penalties for non-compliance include invalidation of protections for the middleman or content host and prison terms.
Under the revised rules, announced Friday, the federal government will establish one or more appeals committees consisting of a chair and two full-time members. The commission will aim to resolve the appeal within 30 calendar days, and the mediator must follow the commission’s orders, according to the rules.
New rules have been introduced as middlemen or content hosts, such as social media Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told a news conference that the companies were not doing enough to address user complaints. “Redressal employees who have to deal with grievances don’t have some toke there.”
Changes come as a billionaire Elon Musk took control of Twitter, appointed himself head of the company, and pledged to ensure freedom of expression on the platform.
India has had a particularly contentious relationship with Twitter over the past few years as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration seeks to gain more control over online dialogue.
The prospect of less restrictive content moderation under Musk’s leadership has raised concerns that social media dialogue will deteriorate, undermining the company’s and safety team’s years of effort. and trust to limit offensive or dangerous posts.
