From Telegram To WhatsApp, Why Social Media Platforms Came Under Govt's Radar In India | Explained

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), led by Ashwini Vaishnaw, has been in action in the last couple of days in an attempt to address issues related to social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and others. The government has expressed its concerns over rising cybercrimes, exam paper leaks, piracy, child sexual content and other malpractices through the social media apps, seeking accountability of social media firms to address these issues.

ALSO READ: Centre Issues Anti-Piracy Notice To Telegram; Demands Action Within 15 Days

Here Are Prime Reasons That Prompted Authorities To Take Action:

Piracy: On Saturday, the Centre served a notice to popular messaging app Telegram, directing it to crack down on the "widespread dissemination" of pirated films, OTT content and other audio-visual material through its platform. In its notice, the government sought an Action Taken Report from Telegram within 15 days, with officials underlining that the government's approach marks a shift from piecemeal takedowns of pirated content to "platform accountability". The authorities are learnt to have told Telegram that copyright infringement is not merely a civil violation, but also a criminal offence under the Copyright Act, 1957, and the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

#WATCH | An ecosystem, thought process that social media should be held accountable, is spreading in our country as well as globally...Rapid work underway on how to make it accountable: Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to ANI pic.twitter.com/vQ2VjleVzK

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2022

Child Sexual Abuse Material: Meta is facing the heat for reportedly promoting child sexual abuse material through Instagram's advertisement tool. On Friday, it was reported that IT Minister Vaishnaw has directed MeitY officials to summon Meta over Instagram ads allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material, marking the second instance of regulatory scrutiny initiated against the social media company this week. The ministry will demand an explanation and information on action taken in its notice to Meta over child sexual abuse material advertisement allegations, government sources said. A person familiar with the matter said the notice to Meta is expected to be issued shortly, seeking the company's response to BBC allegations that advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were allowed to run on its platforms.

ALSO READ: Username Row Deepens: After WhatsApp, Centre Sends Notices To Telegram And Signal

Username Feature: Just a few days ago, the government served to Meta-owned WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, raising questions on their existing username feature and asking how the platforms are addressing concerns related to fraud and impersonation risks. The source said that in the notice to Telegram, the government has asked the platform why it should be allowed to have the username feature. The feature allows users to create unique usernames that can be used for connecting on the platform without sharing phone numbers. On Wednesday, the Centre issued a notice to Meta over the username feature announced for WhatsApp, citing concerns that it could materially increase online fraud, phishing and digital crime. Following which, a team from Meta met officials in the IT Ministry. Given that the timeline for furnishing a detailed explanation on the 'usernames' feature is three days, Meta will submit its final reply as per the schedule.

ALSO READ: Telegram App Resurfaces On India's Google Play Store And Apple App Store After A Week-Long Temporary Ban

NEET Paper Leak: Earlier, Telegram was temporarily blocked in India in June as a precautionary measure to prevent any paper leak during the NEET re-examination. On June 23, the instant messaging platform resumed service in India after a week-long government ban expired, with the app reappearing on Google's Play Store.

AI World Vastly Different From IT Act Era: Ashwini Vaishnaw Flags Concerns

Meanwhile, the government has flagged concerns over rising frauds linked to Artificial Intelligence (AI). Vaishnaw asserted that the current information technology law was framed much before the rapid emergence of Artificial Intelligence. A new legal framework may be required to deal with the changing landscape, he said. The minister said discussions are on with the industry and that the government will seek to strike a balance between innovation and regulation. Asked whether India will look at a dedicated AI law or continue to address it through amendments to the IT Act as nations across the world debate AI safety, Vaishnaw said the issue is a complex one.

(With Agencies Inputs)