New Delhi : Speaking in CUTS webinar, ‘Discussing the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021 (rules) from the Lens of Consumer Welfare and Ease of Doing Business (EoDB)’, Dr Amar Patnaik, Hon. Member of Parliament, & Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 (PDPB), stated that the PDPB once passed, would be the overarching law for personal data protection, and the rules should be consistent with it. He also emphasised on the need for building state capacity for effective implementation of the rules and the PDPB.
Mr Rakesh Maheshwari, Group Coordinator and Head – Cyber Law, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), presented a holistic view of the rules, and clarified that the rules have a clear objective of curbing the spread of problematic unlawful information on intermediary platforms, such as revenge porn and related contents, to ensure safety of people particularly that of women and children.