Not a single complaint has been escalated to the Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) by the second tier of the grievance redressal mechanism stipulated in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The grievance mechanism* deals with digital news publishers and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. The information was shared by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in response to an Right to Information (RTI) request filed by MediaNama. A user can filed a complaint with the publisher which constitutes the first tier under the three-tier mechanism. The second tier involves a self-regulatory body that a user can approach if they are not satisfied by the publisher's resolution. Interestingly, the ministry did add that the IDC has taken up cases related to Section 69A (IT Act, 2000) violations, suggesting that the IDC may have been involved in blocking orders issued by the MIB over the last year, including the censorship of the BBC documentary. It seems to suggest that only the Indian government is making referrals to the committee to clamp down on content it deems unacceptable. It is what many had feared back when the guidelines were released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Why it matters: The details about the IDC are significant because it is important to take stock of how the government is running the grievance redressal mechanism laid down under the IT Rules, 2021. The mechanism had come under criticism for imposing compliance burdens and exposing intermediaries to government censorship without any…
