A platform set up by the Indian government to process user complaints against social media companies went live on February 28, 2023, according to several news reports. A user can log on to the following website, which is developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), in order to register their grievance— https://gac.gov.in/ The portal will deal with complaints which have to be resolved by the Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs) appointed by the Indian government in January 2023, according to a report in The Economic Times. https://twitter.com/aseemmanchanda/status/1630476028161433601 How will it work: The platform will be used to segregate user complaints submitted to the GACs and escalate only those complaints which are eligible, the business daily explained. It added— The entire process will be automated on the platform from which will complaints qualify for GAC evaluation to their eventual settlement. Moreover, major social media platforms will have to be a part of the platform to address complaints and file their responses to grievances on it. Why it matters: It is a notable development as it is the first time that a solution like the GAC is being explored to resolve complaints against social media companies. The government notes that the platform may be necessary to deal with a large volume of complaints. It may be a useful measure to ensure there is no bias involved in how GACs resolve user complaints. However, there are several concerns which continue to persist around GACs, and their independence, despite the existence of this platform.…
