Centre revives bill to regulate digital news media: Reports

The digital news publishers would be asked to register themselves with the Press Registrar General within 90 days of the law coming into effect.
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The Union government is preparing a bill for a new registration regime for digital news media which is not included in the Centre's registration framework at present, according to reports.

The Centre will soon propose the Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, 2019, with amendments before the Cabinet. The bill will replace the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which currently regulates newspapers.

If the bill is passed, digital news websites will come on par with newspapers, and they will have to register themselves with the Press Registrar General within 90 days of the law coming into effect.

The amendments will bring digital news media under the control of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The ministry has already started the process to amend the Bill to include "news on digital media through any electronic device".

The ministry will have powers to act against various publications for violations. The authorities can also suspend or cancel registrations and impose penalties if rules are violated.

An appellate board is planned with the chairperson of the Press Council of India as its chief, according to officials.

The Bill has yet to be approved by the Prime Minister's Office and other stakeholders, say sources.

The Centre in 2019 had put out a draft of the bill that defined 'news on digital media' as "news in a digitised format that can be transmitted over the internet, computer or mobile networks and includes text, audio, video and graphics". When the bill was proposed, it triggered a row as many argued that it was the Centre's attempt to 'control' digital news media.

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The New Indian Express
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