Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter must remove content as early as possible, but not later than 36 hours, after a government or legal order, consistent with new Information Technology rules released on February 25.
These companies must also provide inform and help with investigations within 72 hours of an invitation from authorities, said the knowledge Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, a replica of which Moneycontrol reviewed.
Platforms must remove content that depicts a private during a sexual act or conduct, or fully or partial nudity, within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.
With the new rules, India joins other various nations that are looking to manage Big Tech firms. In India, Twitter recently only partially complied with government orders to get rid of tweets over protests by farmers over the new agri laws.
Social media intermediary and significant social media intermediary should prominently publish on their site or app the principles and regulations and privacy policy and user agreement for access or usage.
An intermediary shall inform the user of computer resource to not host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information that are false, misleading and defamatory in nature. Users should even be informed to not publish any information that’s harmful to minors, infringes patents, or violates the law.
They also got to inform users to not post any content that threatens unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states.
The intermediary should also inform users a minimum of once per annum , just in case of non-compliance with rules and regulations, privacy policy or user agreement for access or usage of the pc resource of such intermediary. it’s the proper to terminate the access or usage rights of the users to the pc resource immediately or remove it just in case of non-compliance.
Furthermore, platforms should appoint a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) within 3 months from the date of publication of those rules. The CCO shall be liable for ensuring compliance with the Act and rules. they ought to also appoint a nodal person of contact for 24×7 coordination with enforcement agencies and officers to make sure compliance with their orders or requisitions made in accordance with the provisions of law or rules made thereunder.