The Indian government recently introduced the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These rules are designed to regulate the content shared on digital media platforms.
According to these rules, if you’re a person defined under Section 2(31) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and you live in India, you have the right to raise a concern about content that’s been published on digital media platforms. This should be done within a reasonable time after the content was published, following the guidelines in Rule 10 of The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The main goal of these rules is to make sure that the content posted on digital media platforms meets certain ethical standards. This means it should avoid spreading false information, hate speech, or damaging content. These rules also aim to protect people’s rights and create a safe and secure online space for everyone.
To raise a concern, you need to follow the steps outlined in Rule 10. This involves contacting the intermediaries, which are the companies that run social media platforms, for example. They are responsible for taking appropriate action within a reasonable time, typically within 36 hours of receiving your complaint. If the intermediaries don’t take the right action, you have the option to escalate your concern to the appropriate government authority.