IT Rules 2021: Furnish compliance details in 15 days - MIB to digital news media & OTT

Amid Whatsapp filing a legal complaint against the Indian government, seeking to block the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, the Government has toughened its stance. The Government, has given 15 days’ time to the digital media platforms to furnish details regarding their compliance with the IT Rules 2021.

Vide a notice dated May 26, 2021, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) directed digital news publishers, newspaper owners and broadcasters that publish news and current affairs on digital media, as well as OTT platforms to furnish certain information to the Ministry.

The information sought include Basic Information such as Name of digital publication, Language in which the content is published, Website URL, Social Media accounts. Under Entity Information, the details sought include Name of the Entity, Month & Year of incorporation and commencement of operations. Contact information has been also sought, besides the digital news publishers and OTT platforms will have to furnish details on the Grievance Redressal Mechanism, including the name of the grievance redressal officer in India, name of the self regulating body of which the publisher is a member, as well as particulars of content manager/s.

The notice also stated that since the IT Rules 2021 were notified in February 2021, the I&B Minister has held interactions with the publishers of online curated content, as well as publishers of news on digital media. MIB has also established communication with many digital media publishers and their associations regarding the rules and their compliance requirements.

“A total of around 60 publishers, and their associations, have also informed the Ministry that they have already initiated the process of formation of self-regulatory bodies under the rules. Some publishers have also written to the Ministry regarding registration with the Ministry under the rules,” the MIB notice stated.

Also read:

Exclude digital news platforms run by traditional news media from IT Rules: NBA to MIB

Meanwhile, as reported earlier, Rajat Sharma, President, News Broadcasters Association (NBA), has written to the I&B Minister, seeking exemption and exclusion of traditional television news media and its extended presence on Digital News Platforms from the ambit of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

In a letter dated May 27, 2021, Sharma wrote that the principal concern of NBA was the inclusion of the traditional electronic/ television’s digital news media within the scope of the IT Rules, 2021, especially as enough safeguards existed to regulate the content of both mediums. “NBA suggests that the focus should primarily be on further strengthening the already existing mechanism of NBSA and giving statutory recognition to NBA’s Code of Ethics under the Cable TV Rules,” he added.