Catergory

IT Rules

IT Rules amendments, 2023

Petitioners Conclude Arguments Before Third Judge in Case Challenging Constitutionality of Fact-Check Unit Conceptualised under IT (Amendment) Rules, 2023

After a marathon hearing before the Bombay HC spanning over 7 days, the Petitioners have concluded their arguments before the third Judge, Justice A.S. Chandurkar, in the petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Fact-Check Unit Conceptualised under IT (Amendment) Rules, 2023
25 April, 2024
5 min read
Radhika RoyRadhika Roy
IT Rules

Bombay HC Delivers Split Verdict in Challenge to IT (Amendment) Rules 2023

With Justice Gautam S. Patel ruling in favour of the Petitioners, and Justice Neela Gokhale against, the Bombay High Court has delivered a split verdict in a batch of petitions challenging IT (Amendment) Rules, 2023
31 January, 2024
4 min read
Radhika RoyRadhika Roy
IT Rules amendments, 2023

“Intermediaries can decide if they want to take down ‘fake’ information” - The Union Government concludes its submissions in petition challenging the IT Amendment Rules, 2023

During its submissions before the Bombay HC in a challenge to the IT Amendment Rules, 2023, the Union Govt clarified that this fact check unit will focus on patently false govt-related content, and that its role is only to flag, leaving the final call to intermediaries.
28 September, 2023
4 min read
Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh & Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra
IT Rules

In a petition filed by the Association of Indian Magazines’ challenging the fact check amendments to IT Rules, 2021, the Bombay High Court directs the Government to file its Reply

The Association of Indian Magazines (AIM) has filed a writ petition before the Bombay HC challenging the constitutional validity of this provision of the IT Rules Amendment, 2023 for being ultra vires the IT Act, 2000, and violating the right to freedom of speech and expression.
07 June, 2023
4 min read
Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra & Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh
IT Rules amendments, 2023

In Kunal Kamra’s Petition in the Bombay High Court, the Government undertakes not to constitute its Fact Check Unit

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has undertaken not to notify its Fact Check Unit until July 5, 2023.
27 April, 2023
3 min read
Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra & Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh
IT Rules

Bombay HC orders the IT Ministry to disclose the factual background that necessitated the IT Rules Amendment

The Bombay High Court has directed MeitY to file its response within one week on why the IT Amendment Rules, 2023 should not be stayed, and also describe the factual background that necessitated the issuance of the amendments.
11 April, 2023
4 min read
Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh & Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra
RTI

CIC directs MIB to provide the list of news publishers who have submitted their details under the IT Rules, 2021.

tl;dr IFF filed an RTI application with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) to obtain information on notices sent to publishers of news media under Rule 18 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021). While the MIB stated that 2100 publishers have provided their details under the IT Rules, it refused to provide any other information under the RTI application, such as the number of notices sent,
16 March, 2023
4 min read
Gayatri MalhotraGayatri Malhotra
IT Rules, 2021

MeitY proposes another Amendment to the IT Rules: PIB’s fact-check team will be able to take down “fake” news

MeitY has proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, which may require intermediaries to block access to social media posts and even news stories themselves, if the PIB terms them as “fake” or “false”.
18 January, 2023
8 min read
Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh
IT Rules, 2021

First Read: Draft amendments proposed to the IT Rules, 2021 in relation to online gaming

On January 2, 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology [“MeitY”] proposed further amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 in relation to online gaming [“draft amendments, 2023”]. Read our first read and analysis of the draft amendments here.
03 January, 2023
11 min read
Tejasi PanjiarTejasi Panjiar, Tanmay SinghTanmay Singh & Prateek WaghrePrateek Waghre
SocialMediaComplianceWatch

#SocialMediaComplianceWatch: analysis of Social Media Compliance Reports for the month of May 2022

tl;dr Google (including YouTube), Koo, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), ShareChat, Snap, Twitter and WhatsApp have released their reports in compliance with Rule 4(1)(d) of the IT Rules 2021 for the month of May, 2022. The latest of these was published by WhatsApp on July 1, 2022. The reports contain similar shortcomings, which exhibit lack of effort on the part of the social media intermediaries and the government to further transparency and accountability in platform governance. The intermediar
26 September, 2022
12 min read
Anandita MishraAnandita Mishra

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