Lok Sabha Question No. 3434 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Adverse Effects of Social Media
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Prince Raj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3434

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2023

## ADVERSE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

## 3434.   SHRI PRINCE RAJ:

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

- (a)   whether social media is adversely affecting children's emotions, cognitive development and social development and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  there  has  been  a  spurt  in  the  incidence  of  depression,  anxiety,  instability, loneliness  and  suicide  among  teenagers  according  to  several  researches  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c)   whether the Government proposes to bring stringent law for social media and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the efforts made so far to prevent the adverse effects thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  and  (b):  The  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  has  informed  that  a study was conducted on 'Effects (Physical, Behavioral and Psycho-Social) of using Mobile Phones  and  other  devices  with  internet  accessibility  by  children'.  As  per  this,  23.80%  of children use smart phones while they are in bed, before going to sleep, which increases with age, and 37.15% of children always or frequently experience reduced levels of concentration due to smart phone use. Study also shows that there is a direct relationship between age and having  a  social  media  account,  as  with  the  increase  in  age  near  proportional  increase  in number of children having social networking accounts was witnessed. While about 30-50% children  having  the  social  media  accounts  are  falling  between  age  group  of  13-15  years, about  50-70%  children  having  the  social  media  accounts  are  between  age  group  of  15-18 years. The study is available on the Commission's website (https://ncpcr.gov.in).

(c)  and  (d):  The  Government's  objectives  are  to  ensure  an  Open,  Safe  &Trusted  and Accountable Internet for Digital Nagrik or citizens.

The  Information  Technology  Act,  2000  ('IT  Act')  and  the  Information  Technology (Intermediary  Guidelines  and  Digital  Media  Ethics  Code)  Rules,  2021  ('IT  Rules,  2021'), together,  have  made  a  framework  which  cast  obligations  on  the  intermediaries,  including social media intermediaries, to observe due diligence and provide that if they fail to observe such due diligence, they shall no longer be exempt from their liability under law for thirdparty information or data or communication link hosted by them.

The  IT  Rules,  2021  casts  specific  obligations  on  intermediaries  to  observe  due  diligence vis-à-vis  what  kind  of  unlawful  information  is  not  to  be  hosted,  displayed,  uploaded, published, transmitted, stored or shared. Such due diligence also include that the intermediaries are required to make reasonable efforts by itself to cause the users not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share, among others, information which is obscene, or paedophilic, or pornographic, or is invasive of another's bodily privacy, or is harmful to child, or impersonates another person, or violates any law. Intermediaries are also required to remove any information violative of any law for the time being in force as and  when  brought  to  their  knowledge  either  through  a  court  order  or  through  a  notice  by appropriate  government  or  its  authorised  agency.  In  case  of  failure  to  follow  diligence  as provided  in  the  IT  Rules,  2021,  by  intermediaries,  they  shall  lose  their  exemption  from liability  under  section  79  of  the  IT  Act  and  shall  be  liable  for  consequential  action  as provided  in  such  law.  Further,  in  case  an  intermediary  is  a  significant  social  media intermediary  (an  intermediary  having  more  than  50  lakh  registered  users  in  India),  to additionally  observe  due  diligence  in  terms  of  appointing,  in  India,  a  Grievance  Officer,  a Chief  Compliance  Officer  and  a  nodal  contact  person  for  24x7  coordination  with  law enforcement  agencies.  As  per  the  IT  Rules,  2021,  the  Chief  Compliance  Officer  is responsible for ensuring compliance with the IT Act and the rules made thereunder.

Keeping  in  view  complaints  regarding  action  or  inaction,  on  the  part  of  the  social  media intermediaries and other intermediaries on user grievances regarding objectionable content or suspension of their accounts, the Central Government has also established three Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs), as provided for in the said IT Rules, 2021 to enable users to appeal against the decisions taken by Grievance Officer of intermediaries on user complaints.

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