All posts tagged: social media platforms

Centre tightens the screw on social media apps with WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram under scanner. But why?

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After a paper leak brought Telegram under the government’s radar, the Centre’ scanner has now expanded to other social media platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp. From Meta’s social media platforms to Telegram, the government is working toward stricter regulations on social media (Unsplash/Representational) The most recent row comes with WhatsApp’s username feature, which the Indian government has flagged as a major concern for privacy, impersonation and fraud. From Meta’s social media platforms to Telegram, here’s a look at the social media platforms under the scanner and why. The WhatsApp row WhatsApp, which is one of the social media platforms under Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, introduced a username feature, which would allow users to connect on the messaging platform without sharing their phone numbers. While the feature is yet to go live, WhatsApp allowed users to “reserve” usernames, which led to a flurry of memes online and concerns from the government. As reported by HT earlier, the government has asked Meta not to roll out the feature in India until consultations are complete. An official in …

Draft IT rules: Notices to apply to content from non-publishers| India News

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News and current affairs content posted online by individual users will now come under the same framework as that posted by publishers, allowing for deletion, modification, even emergency blocking. This is the second amendment to the IT Rules this year. (HT File) And social media platforms will now have to comply with guidelines or advisories issued by the IT ministry (MeitY), or risk legal action. Both are changes in the IT Rules, 2021, proposed by the ministry, with a draft being released for public consultation on Monday. Comments can be submitted till April 14. The first change also significantly expands the information and broadcasting ministry’s (MIB) blocking powers, including through the Inter Disciplinary Committee or IDC that hears cases. An ancillary change proposed is in how IDC functions, allowing it to take up “matters” as opposed to “complaints”, thereby enabling it to weigh in on a broad and unspecified range of issues, not just formal grievances. “News items on social media are largely unregulated, which was the feedback we received from MIB. That is why these …

X can’t cite safe harbour to stay out of Sahyog: HC| India News

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The Delhi High Court observed on Friday that existing safe harbour provisions do not grant X Corp immunity to refuse joining the Centre’s Sahyog portal, which aims to create a unified framework to combat cybercrime and for sharing of information related to human trafficking, child trafficking, and drug-related offences. X can’t cite safe harbour to stay out of Sahyog: HC The safe harbour provision mentioned under section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, protects online intermediaries such as social media platforms from legal liability for user-generated content posted on their platforms. This protection applies only if they follow due diligence and promptly remove unlawful content upon receiving court or government orders or gaining actual knowledge of such illegal material. Under Section 79(3)(b), intermediaries lose this immunity if they fail to remove or disable access to unlawful content after receiving “actual knowledge” or a notification from a court or government authority. The provision requires intermediaries to take down or block access to such content within 36 hours of receiving a court order or government direction …

Exclusive | Mandhira Kapur reacts to defamation case by Priya Kapur: I didn’t lie; she can’t walk away with everything

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Late businessman Sanjay Kapur’s widow Priya Kapur, on Saturday, filed a criminal defamation case against his sister, Mandhira Kapur Smith. According to a Bar and Bench report, Priya complained that Mandhira repeatedly uploaded and circulated videos and posts on YouTube and social media platforms like Instagram and X, which identify Priya by name and made “false allegations designed to cause hatred, ridicule and social ostracism; thereby demolishing the reputation of the complainant..” Mandhira Kapur (L), Priya Kapur with late husband Sanjay Kapur (R) Further, the complaint states that in a podcast, Mandhira insinuated that Priya’s marriage with Sunjay was troubled and undeserving of legitimacy. MANDHIRA REACTS When HT City reaches out to Mandhira, she says she never said anything false, “All of what I said is mentioned in court, how am I defaming? Anything I have lied about, let me know, because I can guarantee I’ve lied about nothing.” Also read: Karisma Kapoor calls Priya Kapur’s bid in Supreme Court to access her divorce papers ‘frivolous’ She adds that she learned about the defamation suit …

BSE warns investors of fraudulent deepfake video featuring CEO giving stock recommendations| India News

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Leading stock exchange BSE on Monday cautioned investors to remain vigilant against deepfake video of its CEO giving stock recommendations and investment advice on social media platforms. BSE said the exchange is taking necessary steps to have the fake content removed from social media platforms and to initiate appropriate legal action against those responsible. (REUTERS file photo) The exchange emphasised that the video is unauthorised and fraudulent, and its officials are not permitted to provide any stock tips. “It has come to the notice of BSE Ltd that a fraudulent deepfake video is being circulated on social media and messaging platforms, falsely featuring Sundararaman Ramamurthy, Managing Director & CEO, BSE, and claiming to provide stock recommendations and investment advice,” the exchange said in a statement. The video contains misleading and false claims, broadly suggesting stock tips for investments in 2026 with promises of extraordinary or super-normal profits, and urging viewers to join a WhatsApp channel, the exchange said, adding that statements such as “you will have ₹8 million by 2027″ are part of this fabricated …

Remove non-consensual intimate images online in 24 hrs: Govt SOP

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Social media platforms and online intermediaries must remove or disable access to non-consensual intimate images within 24 hours of receiving a complaint, the ministry of electronics and information technology said in Standard Operating Procedures released on Tuesday. Remove non-consensual intimate images online in 24 hrs: Govt SOP The SOPs, published on the ministry’s website, follow an October direction from the Madras High Court while hearing a plea filed by a woman lawyer whose private images had repeatedly surfaced online. In July, the court had directed the ministry to prepare a prototype outlining what victims of image-based abuse should do. Drawing from the Information Technology Act, 2000, the IT Rules, 2021, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, and the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the procedures outline the removal process for non-consensual intimate imagery. The SOPs apply to intermediaries including social media platforms, content-hosting services, search engines, content delivery networks, and domain name registrars. Platforms must take down flagged content within 24 hours and acknowledge the action to the complainant. Significant social media intermediaries must …

SC seeks Centre’s reply over PIL seeking ban on obscene content on OTT platforms | Latest News India

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The Supreme Court on Monday sought the central government’s response on a petition seeking regulation or prohibition of obscene content on social media and Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. A bench of justices BR Gavai and AG Masih also issued notices to major OTT and social media platforms. (HT file photo) A bench of justices BR Gavai and AG Masih also issued notices to major OTT and social media platforms. The court, however, cautioned that it might have limited scope for interference and that the government must step in to regulate such content. “This is either for the legislature or executive. As it is, we are being accused by some of interfering with legislative and executive functions,” the bench said, referring to the recent criticism of the judiciary by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Earlier this month, Dhankhar had criticised the judiciary following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Governor’s assent to state bills and said courts cannot direct the President. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Uday Mahurkar, represented by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, …

Nagpur Violence: Maharashtra Cyber Flags Inflammatory Content, Identifies Over 140 Posts & Videos

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Last Updated:March 20, 2025, 00:14 IST Maharashtra Cyber said the content in question is deliberately designed to hurt the sentiments of a particular religious group, incite communal unrest, and further escalate the ongoing law and order situation in the state Officials said these videos and posts were found uploaded on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. (Image for representation: Pixabay) Maharashtra Cyber has identified and reported more than 140 objectionable contents, including posts and videos, across social media platforms aimed at inciting communal unrest regarding the Nagpur violence, officials said on Wednesday. These videos and posts were found uploaded on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube, an official said. He said notices have been issued under section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000 to facilitate the immediate take-down of such content. Additionally, notices were also served under section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to uncover the real identities of the individuals operating these accounts. The Maharashtra Cyber, in coordination with the Nagpur City Cyber Police Station, has identified multiple social media accounts …

CBSE meets CERT-in and social media heads to tackle paper leak claims | Latest News India

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Mar 01, 2025 12:20 PM IST The meeting was held on Thursday evening in response to recent viral videos of teachers from various coaching centres claiming to know about topics and questions in board exams beforehand New Delhi : The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has held a meeting with officials from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Indian heads of various social media platforms to tackle the spread of wrong claims, including paper leaks, about board exams, officials said on Friday. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), in 2019, developed a standard operating procedure to check incidents of wrong paper leak claims (HT Photo) The meeting was held on Thursday evening in response to recent viral videos of teachers from various coaching centres claiming to know about topics and questions in board exams beforehand. Some teachers even alleged paper leaks, raising concerns over the integrity of the examination process Also Read: CBSE Class 10 board exams twice a year from 2026: Here’s what happens if draft scheme is implemented “…We …

Govt panel seeks auto blocking for flawed India map | Latest News India

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Is there a way of ensuring wrong India maps can’t be seen on social media platforms in India? Govt panel seeks auto blocking for flawed India map That was one of the main queries of government officials who adjudicate grievances related to content on social media platforms when they met representatives of the latter. The query was raised at the first in-person meeting between the members of the three grievance appellate committees (GAC) – that were established in January 2023 through October 2022 amendments to IT Rules – and social media platforms at a workshop organised by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) on Wednesday, according to people present. The workshop, the first of its kind organised by MeitY, saw participation from MeitY officials, chairpersons and members of the three GACs, and social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Google/YouTube, Twitter/X, Telegram, Snap, and Sharechat. The aim of the workshop was to focus improving the functioning of the GACs and making grievance redressal faster, easier, and more efficient. The GACs were created through 2022 …