Instead of soft-touch monitoring, the government has opted for predatory new rules
The new rules introduced by the Centre last week to regulate all types of digital platforms, with the idea of redressing user grievances and ensuring compliance with the law, are deeply unsettling as they will end up giving the government a good deal of leverage over online news publishers and intermediaries. This holds troubling implications for freedom of expression and right to information. Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while launching The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, presented it as a “soft-touch oversight mechanism”. A government press note termed it “progressive” and “liberal”. It also claimed the rules seek to “address people’s varied concerns while removing any misapprehension about curbing creativity and freedom of speech and expression”. The soft tone notwithstanding, these rules force
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Finally, the Central government, under the ambit of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, has brought in detailed guidelines for digital content on both digital media and Over The Top (OTT) platforms, while giving overriding powers to the government to step in.
The government declares sweeping regulations for social media and OTT platforms that require them to remove any content flagged by the authorities within 36 hours. These OTTs also have to set up a complaint redressal mechanism, with an officer being based in the country.
Two Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar while addressing media persons warned that “double standards of social media will not be acceptable”. Highlighting the misuse of social media in the country, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government wants social media platforms operating in the country to introduce a mechanis
EARLIER this week, the Washington Post ran a scathing editorial that can only be termed a damning indictment of the government of India. It is nobody’s case that the grandees of American journal
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Backstory | Distinct Vulnerabilities of Women Journalists: Afterthoughts on the Priya Ramani Case
A fortnightly column from The Wire s public editor.
Priya Ramani after the verdict in the case lodged against her by MJ Akbar. Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
Women27/Feb/2021
A series of court judgments over ten fateful days â the Priya Ramani verdict of February 17; Varavara Rao bail orders of February 22 (Bombay high court) and February 23 (Nagpur High Court); the Disha Ravi bail of February 24; the protection from arrest granted to Shantanu Muluk on February 26; and the granting of Nodeep Kaurâs bail on February 26 â provide a glimmer of judicial accountability during a dark and tyrannical time, when the silence from the higher courts remained unbroken despite the loud slamming of jail gates.