Ravi Shankar Prasad’s Shout-Out To Successor Ashwini Vaishnaw On IT Rules

New Delhi:

Former IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday recommended his successor Ashwini Vaishnaw for “firmly reiterating the brand new IT Guidelines (which critics say violates social media customers’ rights) … empower security and safety of customers”.

Mr Prasad – who fought Twitter over compliance issues until he was changed final week – additionally supplied the social media big a scrap of reward, saying it was “assuring to notice… has taken some steps to adjust to the brand new guidelines”.

“Greetings to the brand new IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for firmly reiterating that the brand new IT Guidelines are designed to empower the protection and safety of customers towards misuse and redress their grievances. Assuring to notice that Twitter too has taken some steps to adjust to the brand new guidelines,” he stated.

Greetings to the brand new IT Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw for firmly reiterating that the brand new IT Guidelines are designed to empower the protection & safety of customers towards misuse and redress their grievances. Assuring to notice that Twitter too has taken some steps to adjust to the brand new Guidelines.

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) July 12, 2021

On Sunday Mr Vaishnaw – certainly one of several new faces in the union cabinet – stated he had “reviewed implementation and compliance of” the IT Guidelines.

He posted the message solely on Koo – the made-in-India Twitter different.

“Reviewed the implementation and compliance of Info Know-how Guidelines, 2021 together with my colleague Shri Rajeev Chandrasekharji (the junior IT Minister). These pointers are empowering and defending customers and can guarantee a safer and accountable social media ecosystem in India,” he wrote.

Final week Mr Vaishnaw – a technocrat drafted in, some consider, to amicably resolve the dispute – picked up the place Mr Prasad left off – warning Twitter about the “law of the land is supreme”.

Ashwini Vaishnaw is the brand new IT and Railways minister within the Narendra Modi cupboard (File)

Twitter has been focused by the federal government for failing to nominate a chief compliance officer throughout the time prescribed. Yesterday the company made an interim appointment, after it informed the Delhi Excessive Court docket final week informed that a permanent appointee will be named within eight weeks.

The federal government has declared that in consequence Twitter no longer enjoys legal protection; a truth highlighted by 4 police circumstances filed since, together with one concerning the assault of a Muslim man that names Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari.

The brand new IT guidelines are scheduled to come back into impact on Could 25.

Amongst different provisions, they require social media platforms (with over 50 lakh customers), on-line information publishers and OTT platforms to nominate India-based grievance officers and comply with authorities directives on take-down of “offensive” content material.

Critics say the foundations violate proper to privateness and freedom of expression. News publishers say it infringes on the press’ freedom, and can permit the federal government a far tighter grip over on-line information content material.

Final month United Nations particular rapporteurs additionally expressed concern; they stated the rules did not conform with international human rights norms and have been frightened it might curb free speech.

The federal government dismissed their fears as “exaggerated and disingenuous”. 

The principles have been challenged by Fb-owned WhatsApp (which is required to break end-to-end encryption of messages and determine authentic senders to adjust to the foundations) and a number of other information publishers, together with the nation’s largest information company – Press Belief of India.

Final week the News Broadcasters Affiliation scored a short lived win after the Kerala Excessive Court docket stated no coercive action could be taken against its members over non-compliance with the new rules.

With enter from PTI