India's diabetes burden is both vast and uneven. The latest ICMR–INDIAB estimates suggest that more than 101 million people live with diabetes, and about 136 million are at high risk. Behind those numbers sit very ordinary routines and the quiet question many ask each morning: Am I in range
Centre amends IT Rules to allow only senior officials to issue content takedown orders
The Union government on Wednesday amended the 2021 Information Technology Rules to define the authorities that can seek the removal of content posted online.
The earlier version of the rules said that any “appropriate government or its agency” can direct social media platforms to take down content.
The amended rules say that social media platforms can be directed to remove content or block its access through an order of a court of competent jurisdiction or through an intimation by a government official not below the rank of joint secretary or director.
If the take-down notice is the police, it must be issued by an officer not below the rank of deputy inspector general.
Additionally, the Union government mandated that such notices have to be “a reasoned intimation, in writing”.
In March, social media company X moved Karnataka High Court challenging the way the Centre and the state governments were issuing orders to take down or block content posted on its platform under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
The company in its plea had argued that the notices for removal of content often “lacked proper reasoning” and are also procedurally not compliant with the Information Technology Act.
Under Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology Rules, social media platforms are required to remove content within 36 hours of receiving a court order or a government notification.
The High Court dismissed X's plea in September, stating that social media platforms cannot be given anarchic freedom. X is preparing to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.
X had argued in the High Court that the take-down notices were being issued by the authorities without detailed reasoning and that the platform was forced to comply with it in 36 hours.
The Union government, through this amendment on Wednesday, also introduced a review mechanism for the issuance of notices ordering the removal of online content.
The Centre and the state governments have to appoint an official not below the rank of secretary to review the notices once every month to ensure that “such intimations are necessary, proportionate, and consistent with the IT Act”.
The amendment also mandates that the notices issued by the authorities should “clearly specify the legal basis and statutory provision invoked, the nature of the unlawful act, and the specific URL, identifier or other electronic location of the information, date or communication link required to be removed or disabled”.
Source: Scroll
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India's diabetes burden is both vast and uneven. The latest ICMR–INDIAB estimates suggest that more than 101 million people live with diabetes, and about 136 million are at high risk. Behind those numbers sit very ordinary routines and the quiet question many ask each morning: Am I in range
3 months ago
