New Delhi: The government meets with social media firms on a regular basis to discuss issues such as platform responsibility and user safety and there are no intentions to restrict any social media platforms in the country at this time, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
While some users abuse social media platforms to spread hatred and ill will among Indians, no social media platform or other intermediaries can destabilise India’s democracy, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
‘At present, the government has no plan to block any social media platform in the country,’ he said.
The minister stated that the government receives various grievances from users about hate content on social media platforms and responds to them in an appropriate way.
He said the government works with social media intermediaries on a daily basis on a variety of topics, including issuing recommendations to make these intermediaries safer and more accountable to users.
‘Indian democracy has its bedrock in its Constitution and constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights for every citizen. No social media platform or any other intermediary can destroy our democracy,’ Chandrasekhar noted.
He added that the government prohibits dangerous online information in the interest of India’s sovereignty and integrity, defence, security, cordial relations with other nations or public order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
In an answer to a query on whether the government intends to regulate social media in the country, Chandrasekhar stated that the government’s policies are focused on maintaining a fair, open and trustworthy internet.
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‘Government policies are aimed to ensure free, fair, open and trusted Internet and intermediaries are allowed to operate in the country as long as they follow applicable laws including Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and Rules,’ he said.
The electronics and IT ministry, according to Chandrasekhar, has used Section 69A of the IT Act to ban specific apps after following the procedure outlined in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Public Access of Information) Rule, 2009.
He went on to say that the administration has worked hard to create an enabling and investor-friendly policy environment in the country.
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