Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
4) India is planning to frame rules to regulate social media citing unimaginable disruption to democracy and the growing menace of fake news. In this context discuss what are the concerns raised by Social Media intermediaries? And suggest way forward.(250 words)
Why this question:
India plans to frame rules to regulate social media citing unimaginable disruption to democracy and the growing menace of fake news.
Key demand of the question:
Explain the concerns associated with social media intermediaries. What are the issues around it?
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
In brief narrate the context of the article.
Body:
Explain that Currently, a liability of the intermediaries on online content is governed by the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules operational from April 2011.
The government now says that they recognise that rules need to be revisited and has initiated a consultation process on framing the revised guidelines.
The government aims to ramp up the regulatory regime considering the ever-growing threats to individual rights and the nation’s integrity, sovereignty, and security.
Discuss the point that Social media intermediaries like Facebook and WhatsApp have argued that “seeking to trace the origin of messages” would lead to loss of individual privacy.
Conclusion:
Conclude that while the government must ensure that privacy is not compromised, Social Media companies must not take umbrage under the right to privacy.
