Lok Sabha Question No. 3454 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: Policy for Social Media Platforms
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: CHANDRAKANT BHAURAO KHAIRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3454

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 02.01.2019

## POLICY FOR SOCIAL MEDIAP LATFORMS

## 3454.    SHRI CHANDRAKANT KHAIRE:

Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government proposes to formulate any new policy for the social media and its users;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken/ being taken by the Government to curb the increasing number of trolling in various social media platforms along with the spreading of fake news?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA)

- (a):      There is no such proposal with MeitY at present.
- (b):      Does not arise.
- (c): The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 has provisions for removal of objectionable online content.    Social  media  platforms  are  intermediaries  as  defined  in  the  Act.  Section  69A  of  the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 empowers Government to block any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any Computer Resource in the interest of Sovereignty and Integrity  of  India,  Defence  of  India,  Security  of  the  State,  friendly  relations  with  foreign  States  or public  order  or  for  preventing  incitement  to  the  commission  of  any  cognizable  offence  relating  to above.

Further, section 79 of the Act provides that intermediaries are required to disable/remove unlawful content  on  being  notified  by  appropriate  government  or  its  agency.  The  Information    Technology (Intermediary  Guidelines)  Rules  2011  notified  under  this  section  require  that  the  intermediaries, which includes social media platforms,shall observe due diligence while discharging their duties and shall inform the users of computer resources not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any information that is harmful, objectionable, and unlawful in any way.

Government has taken several steps to address the challenges of misinformation and rumors spreading via social media platforms. These, inter alia , include:

- (i) Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology  (MeitY)  took  note  of  media reports about spread of fake news, misinformation/disinformation on Internet particularly using social media platforms. Social media platforms haveimplemented a number of steps to address the issue of fake news propagated using their platform.
- (ii) Ministry of Home affairs (MHA) has issued a number of  advisories which includes advisory on untoward incidents in the name of protection of cows dated 09.08.2016, advisory  on  cyber  crime  prevention  and  control  dated  13.01.2018  and    also  an advisory  on  incidents  of  lynching  by  mobs  in  some  States  fuelled  by  rumours  of lifting/kidnapping of children dated 04.07.2018.
- (iii) MeitY and MHA as well as Police are  in  regular  touch  with  various  social  media platforms to effectively address the issue of removal of objectionable content.
- (iv) MeitY  through  a  program,  namely,  Information  Security  Education  &  Awareness (ISEA),  has  been  highlighting  the  importance  of  following  the  ethics  while  using
- Internet and advice not to share  rumours/fake  news.  A  dedicated website for information  security  awareness  (https://www.infosecawareness.in)  provides  all  the relevant awareness material.
- (v) MHA has created a Twitter Handle 'Cyber Dost' to spread awareness on cyber safety and cyber security. MHA has also published a Handbook for Adolescents/Students on Cyber Safety.

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