Published 17:32 IST, February 25th 2021
'Committed to provide level playing field: Amit Shah lauds guidelines on OTT, social media
Taking to Twitter with the hashtag 'Responsible Freedom', Amit Shah said the government is committed to providing a level playing field for all digital media.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday appreciated the Centre for introducing guidelines to regulate the social media, digital media and OTT platforms. He praised Union Minister of Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar to introduce the guidelines under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Taking to Twitter with the hashtag 'Responsible Freedom', he said the Modi government is committed to providing a level playing field for all digital media and OTT platforms and the new guidelines for social media will further empower the users and ensure resolution for their grievances.
Modi govt is committed to provide a level playing field for all digital media and OTT platforms.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 25, 2021
The Code of Ethics and 3 tier self regulation for digital media is welcome. I congratulate @narendramodi ji and @PrakashJavdekar ji for these much needed rules. #ResponsibleFreedom
All social media platforms have to abide by Indian laws. The new rules, announced today, will further empower social media users by institutionalising redressal mechanism and ensuring resolution of their grievances. I applaud @narendramodi ji and @rsprasad ji. #ResponsibleFreedom
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 25, 2021
Centre introduces new guidelines to regulate OTT platforms and social media
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar while laying down the guidelines for OTT platforms, said "the way print media has press council, Films had censor board, TV channels there is program code, OTT platforms had no such arrangement to regulate the content."
Prakash Javadekar said the government has decided to have a three-tier mechanism for regulation of OTT platforms. These include - Information, Self-regulation, and Oversight.
अभी OTT प्लेटफार्म को कोई भी बंधन नहीं थे। समाचार पत्रों के लिए press council of India का एक नियम होता है और उनके लिए code of ethics है, जो फिल्म्स है उनको censor board है। जो TV है उनके लिए प्रोग्राम कोड है और उनको Self Regulation mechanism है।#OTTguidelines pic.twitter.com/Iu1NfbKpmN
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) February 25, 2021
लेकिन OTT प्लेटफॉर्म्स को कुछ भी नहीं था। आज हमने एक सुचारु व्यवस्थता OTT के लिए की है। #OTTguidelines #ResponsibleFreedom
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) February 25, 2021
Speaking on the guidelines for social media, Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also pressed on the need to empower ordinary users of social media by stating that crores of social media users should be given a proper forum for resolution of their grievances in a time-bound manner against the abuse and misuse of social media.
He said the new guidelines have come in view of concerns being raised about the abuse and misuse of social media by spreading hate content and fake news. He said the Supreme Court directed the government to frame guidelines to eliminate contents which include child pornography, gang rape images, etc. The social media platforms will now require to share the originator of any mischievous post
Social media platforms on being asked either by court or govt authority will be required to disclose the first originator of mischievous tweet or message. This should be in relation to the sovereignty of India, the security of the state, relations with foreign states, rape etc. The social media will now require to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act & Rules, Nodal Contact Person, Resident Grievance Officer.
It is very important that crores of social media users should be given a proper forum for resolution of their grievances in a time bound manner against the abuse and misuse of social media. We are now empowering the ordinary users of social media. pic.twitter.com/gADslQdER3
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 25, 2021
Over the years concerns are being raised about the rampant abuse of the social media platforms.
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 25, 2021
Even the news channels have a fact-checking mechanisms which confirms the rampant spread of fake news. pic.twitter.com/J94UO0FKz8
Supreme Court also directed us to frame necessary guidelines to eliminate child pornography,gang rape images etc.Even during parliamentary proceedings concerns were raised over hate content, pornography on social media etc for which we have made some new guidelines related to it. pic.twitter.com/zA0iDvysUO
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 25, 2021
The significant social media intermediaries need to adhere to the new guidelines such as:
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 25, 2021
1. Appoint a Chief Compliance Officer responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act & Rules.
2. Appoint a Nodal Contact Person
3. Appoint a Resident Grievance Officer pic.twitter.com/UekMZhkTwk
17:32 IST, February 25th 2021