Online platforms to remove content flagged by govt's fact-checking mechanisms: new IT draft rules

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Tuesday released the revised draft IT Rules.

Earlier, the ministry had introduced amendments pertaining to online gaming companies.

The ministry has invited feedback on the draft amendments by January 25 pertaining to the revisions.

As per the rules, the platforms acting as a bridge between users and the Internet must comply with some due diligence while hosting content.

These rules apply to social media intermediaries, significant social media intermediaries (with more than five million users), and online gaming intermediaries.

Section 3 (1) (b) (v) of the current rules says an intermediary must make efforts to cause the user of its computer resource not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information that deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the message or knowingly and intentionally communicates any misinformation or information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature.

The draft proposes the inclusion of the following words: “Or, is identified as fake or false by the fact check unit at the Press Information Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or other agency authorised by the Central Government for fact-checking or, in respect of any business of the Central Government, by its department in which such business is transacted under the rules of business made under clause (3) of article 77 of the Constitution.”

However, social media platforms have their own fact-checking mechanisms to filter misinformation.

But there have been differences between social media platforms and the government regarding these procedures and allegedly selective removal of content.