Google releases 1st transparency report under India’s new IT Rules 2021

Tech giant Google has published its first transparency report after India imposed new IT rules (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) 2021 on the social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook, reported Indian Express.

The report revealed that Google received a total of 27,762 complaints in the month of April, and removed around 59,350 pages/content from the search engine. The platform also clarifie3d that it removes any piece of content that violated its community guidelines or policies.

Google’s report also highlighted that there will be a two-month delay for reporting as to allow enough time for data processing and validation, adding that the present report does not include information on removals based on automated detection, data relating to impersonation and graphic sexual content complaints received after May 25.

They further clarified that these grievances will be addressed in the future report.

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The report also discloses that nearly 95 % of the complaints recorded in this report are related to copyright issues while 1.3% deal with trademark (357).

As far as the removal of web content is concerned, Google’s report said that nearly 98% of the content removal was with regard to copyright were obliterated from the platform. 

The report comes at the backdrop of  India’s new IT rules that make it mandatory for significant social media intermediaries (SSMIs) to maintain and publish a monthly report on the action taken on user complaints that they have received. 

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 were framed and notified on February 25 this year. The rules came into effect in the nation on May 26, 2021. 

The Centre in its report to United Nations said that the rules will help in addressing concerns related to issues like inducement for recruitment of terrorists, circulation of obscene content, spread of disharmony, financial frauds, incitement of violence, public order.