Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Orking on new IT rules guardrails: MOS

- Ksha Bhardwaj

Union minister of for electronic­s and inforon technology Rajeev Chanekhar has said the Centre is ing on “guardrails”, or stanoperat­ing procedures s), to address “grey areas” social media companies, as Facebook and Twitter, to ply with the new intermediu­idelines. round the IT guidelines and T Act, there are some grey s. We will create guardrails SOPS and release them to public. The jurisprude­nce volve; cyberspace is an area government­s are coming to s with,” Chandrasek­har said interview. ating that the internet inibegan as an enabler of convity, the minister said: “But 021, the internet has both and bad facets. The law will rdingly evolve and the minwill create clarificat­ions re necessary.” cial media platforms and industry bodies have been seeking SOPS from the government ever since the new guidelines came into effect on February 25. The guidelines, seen as controvers­ial by the industry as well as activists, put in place a new mechanism for companies to regulate content, appoint officers who will be liable for compliance, and adopt features such as traceabili­ty of messages and voluntary user verificati­on.

The SOPS are expected to clarify which all government bodies can ask social media firms to remove content — one issue that has been repeatedly raised.

Chandrasek­har said the Centre is committed to ensuring that the internet is open, safe and secure. “At the same time, the intermedia­ries that provide these services also have to be accountabl­e. We don’t want any child or any woman or any person to feel unsafe...”

The minister highlighte­d that the new guidelines, which courted controvers­y for traceabili­ty requiremen­ts and takedown powers over news articles, were meant to ensure user safety. “As far as the issue of takedown is concerned, every sovereign government has the right to direct takedown of content that is illegal, wrong or can cause harm to users.”

The guidelines have been challenged by at least seven associatio­ns and activists representi­ng digital new platforms and intermedia­ries.

Chandrasek­har also stressed that the right to free speech was guaranteed by the Constituti­on and no bureaucrat or minister could take it away. “On the issue of censorship, there is no cause for concern... The Constituti­on guarantees the rights. If people try to take it away, like the UPA did with section 66A, the courts will strike it down.”

His reference is to the now defunct section 66A of the IT Act. Section 66 (A), which prohibited the sending of informatio­n of a “grossly offensive” or “menacing” nature through computers and communicat­ion devices, has been used by several states to arrest people over posts that officials claimed were “seditious”,” communally sensitive” or abusive.most of these arrests were for posting controvers­ial remarks or photos, while some were for sharing, commenting on or liking such posts. The section was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015.

Drawing attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that the internet should remain free of government interferen­ce, Chandrasek­har said: “We are concerned that some platforms use their own rules to scuttle free speech. That the government is censoring content is a narrative that is being peddled by some people.”

 ??  ?? Rajeev Chandrasek­har
Rajeev Chandrasek­har

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