(BBC News) The Indian government has proposed changes to extend its regulatory framework to a wider range of online news voices, including influencers and podcasters on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and X.
Last week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) suggested amendments to India’s IT rules – which govern digital media content – to include “users who are not publishers” who share content related to “news and current affairs” within a “code of ethics” it currently applies to registered news publishers.
Experts say this will potentially give the government more power over news-related posts shared by ordinary users, including independent journalists and podcasters.
The government has proposed requiring social media platforms to follow orders and guidelines if they want to keep “safe harbour” protection – legal immunity from liability for content posted by users.
The proposed amendments have alarmed digital rights activists and independent news creators, who say they could enforce near-total compliance with state-led censorship on social media platforms. They also warn the rules could be misused to target critics and clamp down on dissent.
The government says the amendments will strengthen existing IT rules and curb fake news, hate speech and deepfakes, and has invited public feedback by April 14.
