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News Topical, Digital Desk : A final decision on the draft new rules for removing news content and current affairs-related internet media posts will be taken only after consultation with all stakeholders.
After meeting intermediaries and civil society groups on Tuesday, Electronics and IT Ministry Secretary S. Krishnan said that the deadline for consultations with stakeholders, which was scheduled for April 14, is being extended.
On March 30, a draft amendment to the IT Rules, 2021 was released, inviting public comments by April 14. The industry and all stakeholders will be given ample opportunity to express their views, and only then will a final decision be taken on the draft.
Influencers and content creators are covered under the amendments.
In fact, the proposed amendments to the "Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021" also include news and current affairs content posted by non-publisher users, such as influencers and content creators. The draft brings the content of such users under the same regulatory framework that currently applies to registered digital news publishers.
Thus, the scope of "Part 3" of the rules has been expanded. Under the draft, internet media platforms can now be asked to remove any objectionable post related to news and current affairs, and they will be required to do so.
The government may issue instructions to remove the post.
Under the new rule, if a person posts anything on Facebook or any other internet media platform from X and the government feels that the content is related to news and current affairs and is objectionable, then the government can issue instructions to remove that post.
Krishnan explained that since this matter concerns news and current affairs, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will have the authority to direct the removal of such posts. The Ministry of Electronics and IT will direct the removal of other types of objectionable posts.
Who will decide whether the post is related to news and current affairs or not?
Questions are also being raised about whether any content posted on the internet can be removed by linking it to news or current affairs. Who will determine whether a post is news or current affairs related?
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will have the authority to decide this. If someone's post is deleted, they will need to contact the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
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