Industry pushes back against new IT rules amendments

Several international and domestic industry bodies that represent tech companies have pushed back against the government’ proposal to set up an appeals body to review content takedown, according to their submissions to the government.

The government in June shared the draft Information Technology Rules, 2022, seeking public inputs. Among the key changes in these rules were a proposal to create a new content moderation mechanism with a government-appointed committee having the final say on what should or should not have been taken down.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said the ability of intermediaries to ensure compliance with policies is limited, stating that moderation in the manner suggested by the new rules may cause them to act as arbiters of content. The body sought a complete deletion of the new clause.