New IT Rules: Twitter, Facebook users’ raises concern against content moderation, government form panels

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a gazette notification amending the IT Rules. 

Further, the government has appointed panels which will have the power to review content moderation decisions or takedowns by platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

In the notification, the ministry said a three-member Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs) will be set up by the Centre. These appellate panels seek to redress grievances that users may have against decisions of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook on hosting contentious content.

The amended rules will arm social media users with a grievance appeal mechanism in the form of appellate committees that will look into complaints filed by individuals against decisions of grievance officers of social media platforms.

Soon after the amendments were notified, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted: "Empowering users. Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) has been introduced for hearing appeals against decisions of Grievance Officers appointed by the intermediary". In another tweet, the minister said, "Privacy policy and user agreements of intermediary to be made available in the Eight Schedule Indian languages".