India has announced new regulations for web services and social networks in the country, particularly ” significant social media” companies with large user bases like Twitter and Facebook.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) announced the rules on Thursday. They require social media companies to establish a “grievance redressal mechanism” for users, including official “grievance officers” who acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days. Services must also remove nudity and sexually explicit content within 24 hours of a user flagging it.
The framework also indicates that MEITY can regulate digital media services, including video streaming platforms, and require digital news services to follow the official “norms of journalistic conduct” observed by traditional media outlets.
