Lok Sabha Question No. 30 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-02
Subject: Banning Social Media handles
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy, Manickam Tagore B, Manne Srinivas Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 30

TO BE ANSWERED ON:  02.02.2022

## BANNING SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES

## 30.  SHRI  KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY: SHRI  MANICKAM TAGORE B.: SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  banned  multiple  social media  handles  which  are  creating  fake  and  inciting content on  twitter,  youtube,  facebook  and  all  other  platforms, etc.;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken thereon  since  2014  onwards  to  till  date;
- (c)    if    not,    the    reasons    therefor    along    with    the  penalties    imposed/collected    and    the    corrective    steps taken/being  taken;
- (d)  whether  the  owners  of  abovesaid  social  media accounts  are  being  identified  by  the  Government  for action  under  the  law  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof;  and
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  a  decision  to review  social  media  platforms  on  their  due  diligence and if  so,  the  details  thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

- (a) to (c): Government of India is committed to ensure an Open, Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet. Under section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is empowered to issue directions for blocking in specific scenario of any information impacting or likely  to impact 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 these.

Blocking directions are issued following the due process as prescribed in the Information Technology (Procedure and  Safeguards  for  Blocking  for  Access of  Information  by  Public)  Rules,  2009. The details on number of URLs blocked under section 69A of the IT Act is as follows :

|   Year |   No. of Accounts/ Websites/ URLs Blocked |
|--------|-------------------------------------------|
|   2014 |                                       471 |
|   2015 |                                       500 |
|   2016 |                                       633 |
|   2017 |                                      1385 |
|   2018 |                                      2799 |
|   2019 |                                      3635 |

|   2020 |   9849 |
|--------|--------|
|   2021 |   6096 |

The  directions  are  issued  to  intermediaries  including  social  media  intermediaries  and  also  to  Department  of Telecom, wherever appropriate.

(d): Government follows the due process as prescribed in the Information Technology (Procedure and  Safeguards for  Blocking  for  Access of  Information  by  Public)  Rules,  2009. Further, 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects  as  per  the  Seventh  Schedule  of  the  Constitution  of  India.  States/UTs  are  primarily  responsible  for  the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). The LEAs take legal action as per provisions of law against the offenders.

(e): The Government is committed to Open, Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet. The Government has already notified the due diligence to be followed by intermediaries as 'Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and  Digital  Media  Ethics  Codes)  Rules,  2021'  on  25 th February,  2021  to  make  intermediaries  including  social media platforms accountable to their users and enhance user safety online.

********