Overview
- MeitY, which met tech firms and civil groups Tuesday, said it will extend the April 14 feedback window and weigh suggested changes.
- The draft creates Rule 3(4), making advisories, directions and SOPs from the government binding by linking them to safe harbour, the legal shield that keeps platforms from being sued over user posts.
- The plan would place social media posts that count as news or current affairs under the I&B ministry’s Code of Ethics, pulling ordinary users and creators into a publisher-style process.
- Companies and rights advocates said vague terms and unclear user liability could force heavy takedowns and raise legal risk, and they asked for clear rules and prior consultation before any new advisories.
- IT secretary S. Krishnan called the changes clarificatory, said core blocking powers do not expand, and proposed steps such as a single public index of advisories and cleaner role definitions.