The Joint Parliamentary Committee's report on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 has recommended the creation of a statutory authority for the regulation of content on all media platforms. "[...]The committee recommends that a statutory media regulatory authority, on the lines of the press council of India, may be set up for the regulation of the contents on all such media platforms irrespective of where their content is published, whether online, print, or otherwise," reads the report. The JPC's recommendation could lead to new liabilities and compliance requirements for social media platforms, streaming platforms, and news media organisations. Here’s our complete guide to the Data Protection Bill, 2021 Possible reasons for the recommendation The committee made the following observations about the functioning of social media platforms: Functioning as publishers: Social media platforms can select the receiver and control access to any content on their platform, the JPC report said. It also noted that contrary to social media platforms, electronic and print media take responsibility for their content. Ineffectiveness of IT Act, 2000: The legislation has failed to keep up with the changing social media ecosystem, the report said. What prompted the committee's review of social media platforms? At the outset, the committee identified 13 "key areas of concern" with social media intermediaries. These are: Transparency and accountability of social media platforms Categorisation of such platforms as intermediaries Profiling of personal data by such platforms Instances of discriminatory use of AI by such platforms Privacy policy of such platforms Ongoing investigations of…
