Google, Facebook updating website to reflect new grievance officer appointed under IT rules

After the Centre's tough stand on the new social media rules, large digital platform companies like Google and Facebook have begun updating their websites to reflect the appointment of grievance officers as per the norms that came into effect on May 26.

Google's 'Contact Us' page shows details of Joe Grier as a contact person with an address from Mountain View, US. The page also contains details on the grievance redressal mechanism for YouTube.

Facebook and WhatsApp have already shared their compliance report with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and that the details of the new grievance officers appointed are being updated to replace the existing information on these platforms.

However, according to the IT Ministry, Twitter is yet to follow the norms as per Social Media Intermediaries Rules 2021.

Twitter has not sent details of the chief compliance officer to the IT Ministry, and shared details of a lawyer working in a law firm as a nodal contact person and grievance officer, sources in the IT Ministry said. Twitter's website mentions Dharmendra Chatur as the 'Resident Grievance Officer for India (Interim)'.

The new rules require significant social media intermediaries to prominently publish on their website, app, or both, the name of the grievance officer and their contact details as well as the mechanism by which a user or a victim may file a complaint. According to the new rules, both the compliance officer and grievance officers must be Indian residents.

Earlier, IT Ministry sources said besides Google, Facebook and WhatsApp, other significant social media intermediaries like Koo, Sharechat, Telegram and LinkedIn too have shared details with the ministry as per the requirement of the IT norms.

The new rules which were announced in February and came into force on May 26, requires large social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to follow additional due diligence, including the appointment of a chief compliance officer, nodal contact person and resident grievance officer, monitoring of objectionable content, preparing monthly compliance reports and removal of objectionable content.

The new rules also specify that social media firms must adopt features such as traceability of messages and voluntary user verification.

Non-compliance with the rules would result in these platforms losing the intermediary status that provides them immunity from liabilities over any third-party data hosted by them. In other words, they could be liable for criminal action in case of complaints.

On May 26, WhatsApp went to the Delhi High Court against the traceability clause, citing it would infringe the privacy of users.

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