New Delhi: The government has extended the deadline for feedback from the public on the draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules that were published on January 17 to February 2.
This comes after many media bodies like the Editors Guild of India raised objections against the new rules framed by the IT Department that seek to direct social media platforms to take down news or information that has been fact-checked and declared 'fake' by the Press Information Bureau.
"This new procedure basically serves to make it easier to muzzle the free press, and will give sweeping powers to the PIB, or any 'other agency authorised by the Central Government for fact checking', to force online intermediaries to take down content that the government may find problematic," the editors guild had said.
Also read: Expunge amendments to IT Rules: Editors Guild
"In response to requests received from stakeholders, the Ministry has decided to extend the last date for receipt of comments on the said amendment till 20.2.2023," the notification read. It further clarified that there is no extension in the time for inviting feedback on the draft amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 relating to online gaming.
The new rules on online gaming were published on the Ministry’s website on January 2. It has invited feedback from the public till January 17. The date was earlier extended to January 25.
Earlier on Tuesday Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar while talking to the media said that the government will hold discussions on February about the 'PIB factcheck' issue with stakeholders before the proposal is implemented. The minister had said that the rules for regulating online gaming are expected to be notified by January 31 after which these will be tabled in Parliament.
"We will hold a separate consultation (on PIB fact check) sometime early next month," Chandrasekhar said. He also added that the consultation on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act is over and it is being processed within the realms of the government for notification.
