The Information and Broadcasting Ministry last weekend gave fifteen days' timeline to the social media platforms to provide details on compliance with the new IT Rules 2021 which came into effect on May 26.
On Wednesday (May 26), the companies were given 24 hours to submit similar compliance reports. With Twitter and WhatsApp questioning the new rules, saying that they are unconstitutional and against user privacy, the government said that the new guidelines are to prevent abuse and misuse of social media platforms and offer users a robust forum for grievance redressal.
The new rules, applicable to online news and digital media companies and other OTT platforms, require them to follow additional due diligence, including the appointment of a chief compliance officer, nodal contact person and resident grievance officer. The new, tighter regulations for social media firms require them to remove any content flagged by authorities within 36 hours and setting up a strong complaint redressal mechanism with an officer being based in the country.
Significant social media companies will have to publish a monthly compliance report disclosing details of complaints received and action taken, as well as details of contents removed proactively. They will also be required to have a physical contact address in India published on its website or mobile app, or both.
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