India and the world want social media firms to do more for ‘safe harbour’

As India tightens the noose of regulatory compliance around social media platforms, there have been concerns about dilution of the safe harbour provision in the country’s Information Technology Rules.

Safe harbour means immunity for social media companies, in case any content transmitted over their platforms violates the local laws. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and a host of other social media platforms enjoy such immunity, as several jurisdictions, including India, recognise these platforms are like bookstore owners, mere conduits that shouldn’t be held accountable for the content of the books in their store.

But in the digital economy, various countries, looking to check the spread of misinformation and hate speech, require social media platforms to fulfil certain conditions to enjoy their safe harbour.