Editors Guild urges PM Modi to put digital media rules on hold
The government on February 25 announced the Information Technology (Intermediary guidelines and digital media ethics codes) Rules 2021 under the Information and Technology Act, 2000.
The Editors Guild of India has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put in abeyance the new digital media rules and criticised the three-tier mechanism to enforce the code of ethics, saying it was “regressive” and would be “adverse to the freedom of the press”.
The government on February 25 announced the Information Technology (Intermediary guidelines and digital media ethics codes) Rules 2021 under the Information and Technology Act, 2000.
“Part III of the Rules mandates that digital news media establish a self-regulating mechanism to resolve grievances raised by any person and empowers the government to delete, modify and block content published by digital news media.
“We are conscious of the challenges posed by the digital age, and as such, we recognize the need for self-regulation Of digital news media. However, we have grave concerns regarding the rules, which can fundamentally alter how news publishers operate over the Internet and undermine the freedom of the press,” the EGI said in a letter to Prime Minister Modi. The letter has also been addressed to Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar.
