Govt announces new rules for online news & social media to curb its misuse

Feb. 25: Print media has Press Council and follow its ethics code. The digital news portals have to follow nothing. We have changed this. They have to follow now the Ethics Code as laid down by the Press Council. This was stated in a press conference by Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting on Thursday. This means that from now onwards, the digital news media will be brought under regulation like print media in the country.

Press freedom is essence of democracy. When this was attacked during emergency we fought against it and suffered jail for 16 months. But every freedom has reasonable restrictions and has to be responsible.#OTTguidelines #ResponsibleFreedom pic.twitter.com/LZDyytcFNB

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) February 25, 2021

Javdekar said the government at present is not sure whom to consult as regards the regulation of digital media as it doesn’t know how many news websites are there in the country. “We need to get information first about who all are operating in the news website space. After that only we can begin the consultation process,” Javadekar said. “Digital news media will have to disclose their details. We are not mandating registration, we are seeking information,” he told the press.

अभी OTT प्लेटफार्म को कोई भी बंधन नहीं थे। समाचार पत्रों के लिए press council of India का एक नियम होता है और उनके लिए code of ethics है, जो फिल्म्स है उनको censor board है। जो TV है उनके लिए प्रोग्राम कोड है और उनको Self Regulation mechanism है।#OTTguidelines pic.twitter.com/Iu1NfbKpmN

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) February 25, 2021

The minister further stated that “Press freedom is essence of democracy. When this was attacked during emergency we fought against it and suffered jail for 16 months. But every freedom has reasonable restrictions and has to be responsible.” Digital news media will follow rules under the Press Council of India. New websites will have to be registered on the Information and Broadcasting Ministry site.

Addressing a press conference on Digital Media Ethics Code alongwith my cabinet colleague @rsprasad Ji. #ResponsibleFreedom #OTTGuidelines https://t.co/gijzaecJA8

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) February 25, 2021

Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 prescribes, for the first time, how digital news organisations, social media platforms and OTT streaming services will be regulated by the government. “For films there is a censor board. For TV channels there is program code. OTT had no arrangement. Our new guidelines are providing institutional arrangements for OTT,” added the minister.

The government today announced new rules to curb the misuse of social media platforms and mandated firms to appoint grievance officer, disclose the first originator of the mischievous information and remove, within 24 hours, content depicting nudity or morphed pictures of women. Social media sites have to disclose “first originator” of any mischievous message. “Who began the mischief? You have to say,” said Mr Prasad, adding that this would apply for spreading content for which the punishment is up to five years.

Modi govt is committed to provide a level playing field for all digital media and OTT platforms.

The Code of Ethics and 3 tier self regulation for digital media is welcome. I congratulate @narendramodi ji and @PrakashJavdekar ji for these much needed rules. #ResponsibleFreedom

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 25, 2021

Highlighting the rampant misinformation in the form of fake news and misuse of social media content, the union minister listed a number of social media regulations in the country. He said that the government will be giving three months of implementation of rules for significant social media intermediaries adding that the cabinet will notify the same soon.

Ministry will establish an online Grievance Portal. Any person having a grievance regarding content published by an applicable entity in relation to the Code of Ethics may register its grievance on the Grievance Portal.