The Centre on Thursday announced new guidelines to regulate social media and OTT platforms to establish a “soft touch progressive institutional mechanism with a level-playing field”. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the new rules will empower use of social media, adding that a three-tier grievance redressal framework for news sites and OTT platforms.

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Prasad said the laws made for significant social media will be implemented within three months so that they can improve their mechanism. He added that rest will come into effect from the day the rules are notified.

Here are the new guidelines issued by the Centre:

1. Social media platforms must have a provision for the voluntary verification mechanism of the users.

2. Social media platforms on being asked either by court or govt authority will be required to disclose 1st originator of mischievous tweet or message. This should be in relation to the sovereignty of India, the security of the state, relations with foreign states, rape, etc.

Also Read | Grievance redressal system for OTTs: Centre’s new guidelines for digital media

3. The platforms need to give a user reason and hear them when seeking to disable their access to the content.

4.  Social media platforms must have a robust grievance redressal mechanism instituting complaint within 24 hours and a redressal mechanism in 15 days.

5. It must have a chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person, and a resident grievance officer for significant social media.