Centre readies draft rules to regulate social media, OTT platforms, news sites

The government has readied draft rules to regulate social media, streaming and OTT (Over The Top) platforms, and news-related sites. The rules call for a self-regulatory mechanism that will include a code of ethics and compliance reports.

The rules mention the need for a chief compliance officer who will respond on a 24×7 basis to any complaint from law enforcement.

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There will be portal dedicated to grievance redressal and an oversight mechanism, NDTV quoted sources as saying.

The government will “coordinate adherence to code of ethics by publishers and self-regulating bodies” and develop the oversight mechanism.

In case of an emergency, a secretary-rank officer will have the powers to take action and place it before committee within 48 hours.

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In the middle of a huge row with Twitter, which has snubbed an order to block some accounts,

The development comes amid a deepening row between the government and Twitter over the fate of a number of tweets and accounts.