Google, Facebook, WhatsApp to be made more accountable under new rules

The ministry of electronics and IT (Meity) is in advanced stages of finalising the revised intermediary rules that would make social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp or Google more accountable.

As per the draft guidelines, the government has proposed companies need to comply with the government’s direction in providing information and assistance within 72 hours of request made with regard to origin of any content deemed unlawful and remove it. The notification of the guidelines will automatically end the debate around WhatsApp and other messaging platforms like Telegram regarding traceability of messages. The government has time and again reiterated that platforms have to provide origin of unlawful messages in order to prevent any untoward incident.