Government issued new policy for online content; Know the impact on social media, OTT companies and you ...

 

HIGHLIGHTS: After all, the government has opened its cards on the issue of taking control of digital media. New rules have been issued for online content.

The social media is tight, and the digital platforms of news and the OTT platforms that entertainers have also been tied to self-regulation. The government has not made any new law for this, but has made new rules under the Information Technology Act 2000. Has named - Information Technology (Intermediate Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 and has set guidelines for social media, OTT and digital news companies.

In terms of your work, there are rules for three types of platforms - 

1. Social media, .

2. Digital news platforms and 

3. Over-the-top or OTT platforms. 

Let's understand what the rules are and how they will affect you.

Social media: Most of the rules related to administration

Talking about the new rules, most are of administrative nature. Users are less affected and companies are affected more. The good thing for users is that the misuse of social media will stop. The government will help in preventing fake news, rumors, propaganda and objectionable content. The government is saying that they will not stop criticisms, but will only curb attempts to create trouble.

Well, you also know what the companies have been told-

1. Content related to the honor of women has to be taken special care of. If an objectionable photo of someone is posted on social media, it will have to be removed within 24 hours of receiving the complaint. The victim's complaint will not be necessary for this.

2. If a court or government institution asks for information about the first originator of an objectionable, mischievous tweet or message, companies will have to give it. This will be applicable in matters related to the integrity, unity and security of India, social system, relations with other countries, rape and sexual exploitation. In this case, it has to be seen that if the charge is proved, the user can be sentenced to 5 years. If the first originator is foreigner, then the content needs to be informed about the first person to post in India.

3. Companies have to appoint Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Contact Person, Resident Grievance Officer in three months. They will be Indian citizens. The Chief Compliance Officer will see if India's rules and regulations are being followed. Nodal Contact Person will coordinate 24X7 with legal agencies. Resident Grievans Officer will hear the complaints of the users. The Grievance Officer will have to take action within 24 hours of receiving the complaint. Complaint will have to be resolved in 15 days.

4. The user who wants their verification, social media companies will have to provide it. For example, Twitter gives a blue tick to the verified account. Social media companies are divided into two parts based on user-base. The government will issue the numbers to decide who the big companies will consider and the small ones.

IT law expert Pawan Duggal says that the rules made in 2011 gave 36 hours to remove objectionable content. It has been reduced to 24 hours. Still it is more. The picture can reach millions of people in these 24 hours. This limit should have been reduced further. The government has made it clear to foreign companies that if the cream is to be eaten here, then the law has to be followed.

Digital News Platform:

Efforts to bring print and TV on par will require publishers of digital news media to follow the program code under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India (PCI) and the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act. This will provide a uniform regulation for offline (print and TV) and digital media. The government has asked Digital News Media Publishers to form a self-regulation body like the Press Council.

OTT platform: full emphasis on self-regulation

Code of Ethics has been talked about for the OTT platform. This will be followed by online news as well as OTT platforms and digital media companies. Duggal says that if you think that the new rules will remove the mess, then nothing like this is going to happen. It is definitely that service providers will not remain unbridled. At the same time, film director Vivek Agnihotri says that there were many concerns about the content of OTT platforms. The government has taken good steps by making guidelines. At least people found a place to complain. At first it was not a system. People were saying that the government was moving towards censorship. But nothing like this happened. If there is any content going among people, then there should be a guideline for it.

Let us know what these rules for OTT platforms are-

OTT platforms must divide content into five categories. He has to show on every category of content what age people he is for. By the way, this is not new. Most OTT platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Disney Hotstar, have implemented this rule. This lets the viewer know what kind of content he is going to watch.

If there is a complaint with OTT, there will be hearing at three levels

1. At the first level, the OTT platform will hear it. The Grievance Redressal Officer will be in India and will hear each complaint within 15 days.

2. Self-regulating body of OTT platforms will listen to complaints. This body will listen to the complaint which the company will not remove in 15 days. This body has to be registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

3. There will be an oversight mechanism of the government. This mechanism will be created by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Will also make charter. An inter-departmental committee will be formed to hear the complaints that have reached him.

What do industry experts say on the new policy…

1. Sameer Makani, co-founder and managing director of Makani Creatives, says the new rules will streamline OTT and prevent them from bringing objectionable content. This will give viewers the choice of what they see and what not.

2. Arvind Shivdas, CEO of Kabaddi Adda, says that when content has become king, its authenticity is inevitable. Self-regulation is a good thing, and only a three-tier system for complaints will allow only serious companies to stay in this area.

3. Sajai Singh, partner at J Sagar Associates, says that the lack of filters while uploading content is a bit worrying. Rules such as removing content from social media and mandatory local address within 24 hours of receiving a complaint will put pressure on social media intermediaries somewhere.

What was the need of these rules?

1. The scope of Internet users has increased rapidly under the Digital India program. Social media users have also grown rapidly. 53 crores on WhatsApp, 44.8 crores on YouTube, 41 crores on Facebook, 21 crores on Instagram and 1.75 crores users on Twitter.

2. These social platforms have also given an opportunity to ordinary Indians to show their creativity. They are asking questions. Taking information and saying their words. Criticism of the government is also part of it. On the one hand, it gives strength to the users, it is also causing serious problems.

3. These concerns have also come up from time to time in the discussions of Parliament and its committees, court orders and civil society. It is a matter of concern not just in India but all over the world. As such, it remains an international issue.

4. The Supreme Court on December 11, 2018, in the Prajavala case, directed the government to remove child pornography, rape and gang-rape pictures, videos. In 2019, the Supreme Court also directed the Ministry of Electronics and IT to make new rules.

5. The government had made the rules in 2018 itself. 71 comments on this came from the common people, civil society, industry body and other organizations. There were also 80 counter comments. The final rules are created after analyzing these comments.

Source: Web