NEW DELHI: The government has deferred till February 2023 consultation on the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which proposes to take down any content from social media or other platforms if termed as “fake” by the government’s PIB fact check unit.
Speaking to the media, Minister of state for electronics and information technology (Meity) Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the government will have a separate consultation on PIB fact check, but with the online gaming framework.
“The consultation was intended to (be held) today but given the backlog of consultation in Meity, this (PIB Fact Check) has been moved down the road.... The government will have separate consultation in February 2023, now with the online gaming rules,” said the minister.
The Meity released draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021, in relation to online gaming on January 2, 2023. The ministry inserted this rule in the IT rules while having consultation on online gaming framework with gaming companies, industry bodies, gamers, teachers and policy advocacy groups.
The rule reads.. “shall make reasonable efforts to cause the user of its computer resource not to” post content that has been “identified as fake or false by the fact check unit at the Press Information Bureau or other agency authorised by the central government for fact-checking”. However, the rule faced backlash from digital rights organisations and the Editors Guild of India.
They termed this rule akin to censorship. Chandrasekhar also informed that consultation on the online gaming framework is now over after six rounds of consultation. The rules will be notified by 31 January 2023. “Both online gaming framework and Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 are over. We will notify by January 31, 2023, it will be tabled in Parliament,” added the minister.
The government will hold the first India Stack Developers Conference on January 25, where many domestic and foreign start-ups and system integrators are expected to participate. Speaking about the event, the minister said the conference is aimed at expanding adoption of India Stack around the world.