Govt refuses to exempt mainstream media from new IT rules, know why

The government has refused to exempt the digital news content of mainstream television channels and print media from the ambit of the the IT Rules, 2021 and asked them to take “urgent steps” to comply with the provisions of the digital media rules immediately.

The rationale for bringing the websites of the organisations under the ambit of the law is “well reasoned”, the information and broadcasting ministry said in a clarification to digital news publishers, publishers of online curated content or OTT platforms and associations of digital media publishers on Thursday.

“Making any exception of the nature proposed will be discriminatory to the digital news publishers who do not have a traditional TV/print platform,” the ministry said.