One-click complete information. OTT - How will the new guidelines released for social media affect you?

New Delhi: The central government has tightened the rules governing OTT platforms and social media such as Netflix-Amazon Prime and MX Player. Streaming companies now have to remove objectionable content coming after complaints. At the same time, companies like Facebook-WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter will have to appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer to monitor the content and the government will have to cooperate in the investigation.

The big thing is that the government has not made any new law to curb the arbitrariness of OTT platforms and social media companies, but has now made rules under the Information Technology Act 2000. There are three types of platforms in this act. These platforms are-

social media

Digital news platforms

OTT platforms

social media

Content such as harrasment, vulgar acts, and tampering of photographs have to be removed within 36 hours of receiving the complaint. Also, on the complaint of objectionable content against women, the post will have to be removed from the respective platforms within 24 hours. In this, the complaint made by the woman will not be necessary.

A Grievance Redressal Officer has to be appointed to deal with the complaints and this officer must accept the complaint within 24 hours and redress it within 15 days.

Impact on you- This new rule will now stop the misuse of social media platforms like Facebook-WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter. It means that now fake news, rumors, and objectionable content will not reach the users.

WhatsApp will end to end encryption!

While issuing the guidelines, the government has said that social media is also used to spread violence and rumors. But now social media companies like Facebook-WhatsApp, Signal, Instagram, and Twitter have to tell who shared the content first, who is the originator of the viral post. Due to end to end encryption, till now companies like WhatsApp did not share the information of the originator, but now after the demand of the government, it will be mandatory to give the information of the originator.

Women users will get a big relief

There are many complaints related to the harassment of women on social media. Somewhere after the breakup with the girlfriend, the boyfriend made objectionable pictures viral, then somewhere someone is blackmailing the woman. In such a situation, social media platforms will now have to take all these things seriously.

Digital news platform

In the digital age, today all news companies also have accounts on social media. Where he spreads his news to the users through YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. All these are called digital news media. Under the new rules, digital news media publishers will have to follow the program code under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India and the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act. Meaning now there will be the same rules for print-TV and digital media.

OTT Platform

Movies, web series, and other content are released directly online on all platforms such as Netflix-Amazon Prime, Alt Balaji, and MX Player. This platform is called the over-the-top i.e. OTT platform. Sheer has also now tightened rules to curb the arbitrariness of OTT platforms.

Affect you

The content of OTT platforms has always been in controversy in the country. Big companies like Netflix-Amazon Prime have been accused of showing vulgar scenes, sometimes violent scenes, and sometimes hurting religious sentiments. In the new rules, the government has spoken about the Code of Ethics. That is, now OTT platforms will not be able to show anything arbitrarily and censorship will be applied to them too. That is, nothing objectionable content will be served to the viewer.

Let us know that India is a big market for digital and social media companies. There are 53 crore WhatsApp users in India, 44.8 million YouTube users, 41 crore Facebook users, 21 crore Instagram users, and 1.75 crore Twitter users.