Classify social media platforms as publishers: Parliamentary committee

Indian lawmakers have recommended that social media platforms, which are not intermediaries, should be classified as publishers and be made responsible for the content on their platforms. They will also have to mandatorily verify the identity of users according to the report by the Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP ) on the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019. The JCP has also called for the establishment of an independent body on the lines of the Press Council to regulate social media, in what could have huge ramifications for the platforms including the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp – that count India as their largest market in terms of the number of users.