Page 22 - It Rules News Today

The Congress today termed as "surreptitious assault on free speech" the new amendment in the draft IT Rules, asking social media companies to take down news articles that have been deemed "fake" by the Press Information Bureau

The Editors Guild of India stated that the draft amendment to IT Rules will serve to make it easier to muzzle the free press, and will give "sweeping" powers to the PIB.

It has been proposed as an amendment to the Information Technology Rules which regulate social media, news websites, e-commerce sites and streaming services.

If approved, this could make the government the ultimate arbiter of news.

The language of the proposal also suggests that in the future, it may not be just the PIB's fact-checking unit but also other authorised entities that could mark news items as fake.

Best Media Info: The draft aims to safeguard users of online games against potential harm and ensure that the gaming companies adhere to Indian laws. The rules propose verification of users and measures to safeguard t| Digital News

The micro-blogging platform, going through a churning under its new owner, also took down 3,035 accounts for promoting terrorism on its platform in the country.

Online gaming companies are expected to comply with the laws of the land, including any such law that relates to gambling or betting or the age at which an individual is competent to enter into a contract.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has invited public comments on the draft rule by January 17.

IT rules had been strengthened in October to pave the way for formation of the Centre-appointed panels to settle user grievances