By SAT News Desk
MELBOURNE, 22 June 2021: The United Nations (UN) and India lock horns over new Information Technology (IT) rules which the world body describes as curtailing human rights, with India responding as saying the country’s “democratic credentials” were well recognized.
The United Nations on June 11 in an eight pages letter signed by three UN Rappourters Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and Joseph Cannataci, Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy said India’s new IT rules hurt privacy and freedom of expression. In conclusion, they say India’s new IT Rules, “…in their current form, do not conform with international human rights norms”.
The UN letter also notes the possible implication of the new IT rules on media freedom and the wide powers it gives to the Indian government to block content without safeguards.
Guidelines for Social Media Platforms
A Grievance redressal mechanism should be developed and there should be a Grievance Redressal Officer
Should be registered within 24 hours and disposed in 15 days: Union Minister @rsprasad#ResponsibleFreedom #OTTGuideline pic.twitter.com/8A0DQycQqe
— PIB India (@PIB_India) February 25, 2021
Refuting the allegations, “In response to the letter, the Indian government told the UN that the IT rules are “designed to empower ordinary users of social media” and that the government had held broad consultations with civil society and other stakeholders in 2018. It also said that the “traceability of first originator” seeks “only limited information”. “Only when a message already in public circulation is giving rise to violence, impinging on the unity and integrity of India, depicting a woman in a bad light, or sexual abuse of a child and when no other intrusive options are working, only then the significant social media intermediary will be required to disclose as to who started the message,” the government wrote in its response, ” reports livemint.com.
