The IT Ministry of India might issue FAQs about the new norms introduced for Social Media Platforms. According to a source, this might be done in the next 1-2 weeks.
These Frequently Asked Questions would be regarding the new rules, including the measures, how are the norms supposed to benefit social media users and any other clarifications that stakeholders might have. Sources suggest that the set of FAQs could address around 10-20 questions.
Last month, a set of new IT rules for social media companies, came into effect. These rules mandate large social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter to undertake greater due diligence. These rules will make them more accountable for the content hosted on their platform.
A Brief of the Rules
The rules demand that social media platforms with over 50 lakh users make certain structural changes. These companies must appoint a grievance officer, a nodal officer, and a chief compliance officer. These officers must be a resident of India. The companies must take down any flagged content within 36 hours. Any content flagged for nudity and pornography needs to be removed within 24 hours.
Twitter facing problems
Twitter has recently lost its ‘safe harbor’ shield in India. This was after their non-compliance with IT rules following several reminders by the IT ministry. They failed to appoint the officers as per the new guidelines. This has led to them losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. As a result of this, Twitter is now liable for users posting any unlawful content.
