New Social media rules could be a barrier to online free speech

The modern era is no doubt full of digital innovations but is continuously challenged by cybercriminals and fake news. For them, social media is the biggest weapon to widely spread misinformation everywhere. The story of India is no different. However, to overcome this issue, the Indian government has proposed new rules for social media platforms, which is further sparking free speech concerns across India, and especially among local advocacy groups.

The government has recently proposed to amend Section 79 of the country’s IT Act. This move will censor social media content, which is deemed inappropriate by the government. Now social media companies and PR agencies have to think twice before posting content on these platforms. It’s become a great concern for these companies as it may lead to massive losses and client rejections.

The law once amended, would mandate social media networks to provide users’ private messages to the government, if requested. Social media platforms will also need to send a monthly copy of privacy policies to users. It is envisioned that these new rules will become a barrier to online free speech. Many popular OTT platforms have already banned content that could be considered unauthorized in order to government censorship.

Unfortunately, there are no guidelines provided by the government on what content would be considered unlawful. Companies are, thus, experiencing tough times in releasing new video content, and many new releases are put on hold. Illegal content is likely to include content on child abuse, defamation, hate speech, rape imagery, etc.

This move has not been appreciated so far as many big players think that this could undermine end-to-end encryption and shake the balance that has been maintained for years. Many social media companies and PR agencies would be at unease, as the long submission procedures of the required documents as asked by the government would take a lot of time to get things done. 

Undoubtedly, the government tried to stop the spread of misinformation across social media platforms, but the result could further lead to chaos and losses. Social media companies, PR agencies and businesses may face troubles once the new social media rules come into effect. Hope the government would relook into this move and accordingly make modifications to stop social media mishap in the future. India is a democratic country, and nobody should be prevented to conduct free online speech.