Context: The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, rather than clearly clarifying the regulatory norms, is about to make things significantly more confused.
Provisions under contention and key concerns therein:
Conclusion: Government’s interest in strictly regulating social media companies is understandable (as algorithms shape the news we consume and also the products we purchase), but it requires a scalpel-like finely honed approach so that they can excise the patterns of behaviour that the laws are trying to change.