Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday that if social media platforms are not made accountable through increased regulations, the citizens’ trust in such platforms could weaken. However, there is a need to strike a ‘fine balance’ on the issue by building a consensus.
“If we don't increase regulation, if we don't make the social media accountable, then the safety and trust that the citizens have in this media comes under a question mark. So, it's a very very fine balance that we have to strike. It's an evolving world. We all have to evolve and we have to mould according to the changes that are happening,” the Minister said in the Lok Sabha.
He was replying to a question by AITC MP Kalyan Banerjee whether the government planned to bring more regulations to prevent misuse of social media, including memes/concepts for ‘embarrassing or criticising’ people.
“The point about social media… is that balance has to be carefully debated within a forum like this and outside also… We have to come to some sort of consensus because as and when governments try to increase accountability and increase regulation, the question from the civil society is whether we are taking away the freedom of expression,” Mr. Vaishnaw said.
In reply to another question how the government was ensuring that social media platforms complied with the latest IT regulations, he said an institutional structure had been set by almost all the significant social media intermediaries. “All of them are also following the guidelines and publishing their monthly reports… I think the compliance has been good and whatever further steps are needed to make social media accountable, the government is open to those suggestions,” he said.
To a question by BJP member Nishikant Dubey whether the government was planning to bring any amendment in the IT Act, since the Supreme Court had removed its Section 66A, Mr. Vaishnaw said the matter needed a “detailed debate” to arrive at a solution.
