Social media platforms not adequately redressing grievances, says minister

The government's proposal to set up a grievances appellate panel follows several complaints that social media platforms Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday.

social media
Press Trust of India New Delhi
3 min read Last Updated : Jun 23 2022 | 11:03 PM IST

The government's proposal to set up a grievances appellate panel follows several complaints that social media platforms are not adequately redressing the issues raised by the people, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday.

The Minister of State for Electronics and IT held an open house discussion with stakeholders on a draft notification to amend the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

The government has proposed to set up a grievance panel that will have the power to override the decisions of social media companies and other internet firms.

"While we have laid out a grievance officer and an accountability framework that was missing before February 2021, we have been flooded with people saying that is not enough and not working adequately. Platforms and intermediaries do appoint grievance officers but there is no real redressal of the grievance and there is a need to address that," Chandrasekhar said.

The social media platforms need to act on complaints that violate Indian laws and cannot contravene the rights of citizens granted under the constitution, he added.

"While we encourage intermediaries from all over the world to make their presence in India felt but their rules and condition of their service cannot, at any point of time, contravene Article 14, 19 and 21 of the constitution in particular and the constitution in general," the minister said.

Chandrasekhar noted that social media firms cannot discriminate, play with the right to free speech and privacy and rights of citizens ingrained in the constitution.

The minister pulled up an industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) representative for not giving a convincing reason to extend the deadline of July 5 by a month for submission of comment and on concerns around the rise in regulatory cost burden due to the enforcement of the proposed rules.

On the question of whether the government is open to an industry-led voluntary mechanism to handle grievances, the minister responded affirmatively.

He said that the government is ready to accept any alternative that stakeholders offer, which is credible and people get to feel that social media platforms are accountable to them when they raise their concerns.

"The current grievance redressal mechanism is far from being complied with by the platforms that should. Therefore consider this appellate panel as an interim mechanism till the industry steps forward and offers something that is credible," Chandrasekhar said.

The rules are constantly going to evolve based on feedback from stakeholders, he noted.

"Safety, trust and accountability are very relevant in these rules," the minister said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :Social Media

First Published: Jun 23 2022 | 11:03 PM IST

Next Story