India has 53 crores WhatsApp users, 44.8 crores YouTube users, 41 crores Facebook subscribers, 21 crores Instagram clients, while 1.75 crores account holders are on microblogging platform Twitter respectively.
In a dramatic turn of events, the platforms – Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram may face a ban in India if they fail to comply with the new intermediary guidelines for social media platforms.
This is an indication as the three-month deadline given by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITy) to accept these guidelines ends today i.e. May 25 but none of the giants have so far accepted the new regulations. So, no matter what, the rules will be effective from tomorrow despite these companies seeking a total six-month delay in their implementation.
What will happen if any of these social media platforms fail to accept these guidelines is that they risk losing status as social media platforms and protections as intermediaries. The government can also take action against them as per the law of the land for not following the rules.
In a response to the buzz, Facebook in an official statement claims that it will comply and solve the issue.
“We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government. According to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people’s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform.”
The platforms were directed to follow additional due diligence, including the appointment of a chief compliance officer, nodal contact person, and a resident grievance officer as per the new rules that were announced in February. A grievance officer would be a key requirement from day one of rules coming into effect, given the importance of public interface for complaints, and need for an acknowledgment system for requests, suggest officials.
They were also asked to remove any content flagged by authorities within 36 hours and setting up a robust complaint redressal mechanism with an officer being based in the country. The companies were also asked to publish a monthly compliance report disclosing details of complaints received and action taken, as also details of contents removed proactively.
To function in India, they will also be required to have a physical contact address in India published on its website or mobile app, or both.
Koo is the only Indian social media platform that adheres to the Centre’s intermediary guidelines.