New Delhi, May 29: The first draft of the Digital India Bill is expected to be introduced in the first week of June. It is expected to bring big changes to the Internet laws in India.

The new bill will revamp the Information Technology Act, 2000, the country’s core Internet law and set a framework for the telecommunications sector. It has already gone through two rounds of pre-draft public consultations. Daam Virus: How To Safeguard Your Android Device From Daam Malware As Recommended by CERT-IN.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT is a key figure behind the new bill. He has stated that the new bill hopes to ensure an open and safe Internet in the country to safeguard user rights. Even emerging technologies like generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard will get guidelines. Here's all we know so far about the upcoming Digital India Bill:

Removal of Safe Harbour For Social Media Sites

As prescribed under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000, Safe Harbour is legal immunity enjoyed by online intermediaries like social media platforms. This means that they are not responsible for posts made by users.

While Tech experts believe that safe harbour is crucial for ensuring free speech on the Internet, the government seems to differ.

"There is a greater diversity and complexity about the platforms that are on the Internet today, and therefore, there is this legitimate question – should there be a safe harbour at all?," said Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Any changes will have a significant impact on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, etc. The government might essentially change the definition of an intermediary.

Intermediaries Definition

India’s Internet laws only classify platforms based on their size. The new bill will likely add differentiations between different platforms like social media, e-commerce, fact-checking portals, artificial intelligence (AI)-based services, and more. This will mean different rules and guidelines for each segment.

User Harm/ User Safety

The government is also looking to address online-specific harmful activities. This includes online misinformation, doxxing, impersonation, identity theft, catfishing, and cyberbullying. Artificial Intelligence: AI One of the Biggest Risks to Future of Civilisation, Says Elon Musk.

The Digital India Bill aims to address these shortcomings of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to deal with such issues. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) could classify all the above-mentioned offences separately under the new Bill.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2023 01:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).