Acknowledging the need to create more accountability for social media platforms, Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said the government is ready to bring even stricter rules for social media if there is consensus of the House.
Mr. Vaishnaw, however, added that whenever the government took some steps to make social media accountable, the Opposition accused them of attacking freedom of speech. “But that is not the case…We need to bring a balance in society, bring a consensus that to safeguard the future of our youth, women, sisters and daughters, social media will have to be made accountable. We will have to give more strength to those rules.”
Replying to a question raised by BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi on use of doctored pictures and auctioning of Muslim women online, Mr. Vaishnaw said this is not a matter of religion, but women’s safety and protecting their dignity. “We cannot make any compromises here… This is our commitment.” He added that whatever information had come out had been immediately acted upon.
“If the House has consensus, we are willing to provide even stricter social media rules. I personally believe that for the protection of our citizens, we must make the rules stricter,” Mr. Vaishnaw told Rajya Sabha, replying to a question by Congress MP Anand Sharma on preventing the abuse of social media.
Parliament proceedings | February 4, 2022
The Minister said, “We are working within the constitutional framework… the role of States and the role of Centre, both have to be seen in perspective.”
He said that law enforcement agencies of the State Governments were taking action based on the information from CERT-IN or from MeitY or some other agency, adding that there were frameworks in place to deal with cyber crime.
“But I agree with you that we have to come forward as a society and create much more accountability for social media,” the Union Minister said.
