Appellate panels to be set up for resolving Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp users’ grievances
To give complaints against the decisions of Social Media companies, the government on Friday brought new rules for the formation of Grievance Appellate Committees. As per the notification, those who are not satisfied with the decisions of the grievance committees of social media firms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp can approach the government-appointed Grievance Appellate Committees which will take a decision in 30 days, which biding to the social media platforms.
“Every order passed by the Grievance Appellate Committee shall comply with the intermediary (social media firms) and a report to that effect shall be uploaded on its website,” said the notification, adding that any appeal has to be settled within 30 days.
The appeal also has to file within 30 days by the aggrieved person who is not agreeing to the decisions of the grievance officer of the social media company. “While dealing with the appeal if the Grievance Appellate Committee feels necessary, it may seek assistance from any person having requisite qualification, experience, and expertise in the subject matter,” said the notification. The new rules are called the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2022, and come into force immediately.
The new rules also say that social media firms through their grievance officers must acknowledge a complaint within 24 hours and resolve it within a period of 15 days. If the complaint is of a very serious nature matter (listed six specific categories) the social media firms must act expeditiously and shall be resolved in 72 hours, says the notification. The six issues are related to heinous crimes including against women and children, posts against the integrity and sovereignty, security of the country, public order, etc. Obscene, Pornographic, and invading privacy posts also come under these six specific categories, where Social Media firms take an immediate decision in 72 hours.
Information and Broad Casting Ministry’s Senior Advisor Kanchan Gupta tweeted the details of the notification:
IMPORTANT
Government of #India has amended IT (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics) Rules.
Amended rules make it mandatory for intermediaries like @Twitter, @facebook, @YouTube, @Instagram, etc to comply with Constitution of India provisions and India’s sovereign laws. pic.twitter.com/PoF6RU3XMu— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) October 28, 2022
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