MUMBAI AND SAN FRANCISCO One night last month, police crowded into the lobby of Twitter's offices in India's capital New Delhi. They were from
New social media guidelines and the terms of disagreement
June 10, 2021
Line of control: Under the new rules, social media platforms must take down content flagged by the authorities within 36 hours - ISTOCK.COM
Line of control: Under the new rules, social media platforms must take down content flagged by the authorities within 36 hours - ISTOCK.COM×
The ongoing tussle between the Indian government and social media entities is over matters of privacy and responsibility The two sides have been equally vocal about their stances There is a need for a local platform because people may have issues that need to be addressed, minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says
India s new social media rules give the government broad powers to block some content and break encryption. It s the latest in a standoff with tech companies over censorship, privacy and free speech.
Josh Edelson / AFP
The Modi government’s threats to ban international social media apps for not complying with new local guidelines are as damaging to the country as they are for these companies.
May 26 was the last day for all social media companies to meet a local regulation in India that was introduced in February and mandates all firms with over 50 lakh users to offer traceability of information as well as appoint a grievance officer.
Failing to follow the regulation will not end in a ban like many clickbait headlines have suggested, but it will result in loss of intermediary status, which means companies like Facebook and Twitter could be criminally liable for any content deemed illegal on their platforms.
India News: NEW DELHI: Digital rights experts have said that WhatsApp’s move to legally challenge the recently introduced intermediary rules is “most significant”.