The Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, said it hopes that the central government will give due regard to "creativity and freedom of expression" while regulating OTT platforms and digital news organisations under the IT Rules 2021. Nevertheless, while appreciating this initiative of the Government which was long overdue, the Committee look forward to discussing the proposed rules with a view to developing a harmonious and proper oversight mechanism in relation to social media platforms and digital media and OTT platforms, following which the Committee hope that the Ministry would take all necessary steps to implement these rules with due regard to the importance of promoting creativity and protecting freedom of expression while maintaining a robust oversight mechanism. — IT Committee Report In Tharoor-led Committee made the observation in a demand for grants report for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), which was laid in the Parliament on March 10. While the Rules bring a mechanism to establish a level playing field, when it comes to updating of mandate and framing rules for online platforms, “they should have been concurrent with the emergence and convergence of technology so that valid and genuine concerns are addressed at the nascent stage itself”, the Committee noted. The Committee also expects the MIB to launch an awareness campaign to "empower citizens to make informed decisions about content", get their grievances solved, and protect children from "obnoxious media", and help fight fake news online. "The Committee look forward to…
