SRINAGAR: The Government of India said it has implemented measures to address concerns over the increasing prevalence of vulgar, anti-Indian, and culturally insensitive content on social media platforms. Responding to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha on December 18, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr L. Murugan, detailed the regulatory framework and recent actions taken to curb such content.
Murugan cited the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which were notified on February 25, 2021, under the IT Act, 2000. The rules impose due diligence obligations on intermediaries, including social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. These obligations include ensuring that content deemed obscene, pornographic, invasive of privacy, racially or ethnically offensive, or inciting enmity or violence is not hosted, stored, or transmitted. Specific provisions also address misinformation, falsehoods, and content threatening India’s unity, sovereignty, or security.
For digital news publishers and OTT platforms, the IT Rules mandate adherence to a Code of Ethics, monitored by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ministry has acted against violations, including blocking 18 OTT platforms on March 14, 2024, for publishing obscene and pornographic content.
