A Self-regulatory Grievance Redressal Board proposed by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) aims to adjudicate appeals to the removal of user data, accounts, or content under Rules 3(2)(a) and (b) of the IT Rules, 2021. The draft Code accessed and published by the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) fleshes out the functioning, jurisdiction, and responsibilities of such a body. During a public consultation on the proposed amendments to the IT Rules in June, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) appeared amenable to an industry-led self-regulatory body (SRB), as an alternative to the much-criticised proposal of a government-appointed Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC). While the Ministry has taken a U-turn since then and is still gunning for a GAC for social media companies, the IAMAI’s draft proposal appears to be an early iteration of such a body—and the…
