These days, social media platforms play a great role in our lives. It is even capable of forming a mass opinion. Although India had executed new IT rules last year to regulate cyberspace, it looks like the government will bring about new strict norms for social media. The reason? Social media is growing day by day, and we need new laws to tackle new challenges.
Reports say that the new norms will focus on increasing accountability for the content on social media, ensuring cyber security and protecting personal data. This will dilute the current safe harbour rules that safeguard intermediaries from being liable for third-party content on their platforms. If sources are to be believed, the Indian government is working on this and will start talks soon with industry and stakeholders about the new framework.
India is not alone in this. Europe, East Asia, and many states in the United States are forming newer laws to assure accountability on social media. It means that when you read something on a social media platform, you know that someone is responsible for that content, just like the way newspapers and magazines work. Once it is implemented, there will be no safe harbour rules.
