Highlights:
- According to the minister, the government represents those who are victimised on social media and wants platforms to provide grievance redressal mechanisms in the nation.
- Mr. Prasad also said the government is not against criticism.
- A month ago, government draft set of rules that made traceability of the originator of messages a must on prominent social media platforms
On Thursday, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad clarified that the government’s concern is not with the use of social media, but with the abuse and misuse of the platforms.
According to the minister, the government represents those who are victimised on social media and wants forums to provide grievance redressal mechanisms in the nation.
“At the India Economic Conclave, Mr Prasad said, “You must have grievance redressal processes in place so that anybody who has a complaint can file it there. It is not the use of social media that is the issue. The problem is social media harassment and misuse.”
The government, according to the minister, is open to criticism.
Also Read: Digital Content, Streaming To Be Regulated By Government With New Rules
According to Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister, said that more than 20 years, the country’s prime minister has become the most obvious beneficiary of a deception scheme built on lies. He also said that the government welcomes criticism, which can be directed at the Prime Minister, all of his cabinet members, and the entire government.
The minister was reacting to concerns about recent government directives and social media rules.
The government announced sweeping regulations in February for social media companies like Facebook and Twitter, as well as over-the-top (OTT) players like Netflix, forcing them to delete any content flagged by authorities within 36 hours and establishing a complaint redressal mechanism with a local officer.
The guidelines also require platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp to reveal the originator of messages that authorities deem to be anti-national and threatening to the country’s security and sovereignty.
The rules governing digital media and over-the-top (OTT) services place a greater emphasis on internal and self-regulation mechanisms, which include a comprehensive grievance redress system while maintaining journalistic and artistic independence.
This is the first time that such rules have been enacted for digital and online media operating within the country.
The rules were drafted after a year and a half of public consultation, according to the minister.
According to him, the government is interested in learning more about rogue elements on social media sites.
“I’d like to ask you a question. Isn’t it true that thousands of messages go viral on the same topic on the same day in the same place at the same time? We’re trying to figure out who’s behind this mischief and what was the source of the mischief?”
Mr. Prasad further explained, “We won’t see the content. The information is now available in the public domain. We want to find out who started this mischief in India. If anyone sent it from abroad, then who started it in India?”
