Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: Vaishnaw
4 months ago

Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: Vaishnaw

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The government is mulling stringent laws to check vulgar content on social media posts and other platforms like over-the-top or OTT, saying that such platforms are required to appoint grievance officers and set up a mechanism for addressing user complaints. "There is a need to make existing laws more stringent laws to curb vulgar content on social media platforms," Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said amid din in the House on Wednesday. “There should be societal consensus on it, along with stricter laws to address this challenge” he said while responding to questions by BJP member Arun Govil about existing mechanisms to check telecasts of vulgar and sex-related content through social media platforms illegally. Now, the minister has also suggested that social media platforms should adopt a more self-regulatory approach, especially when it comes to preventing content that could harm the fabric of Indian society.

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History of this topic

Bhopal Police bans hate speech on social media to prevent communal unrest
4 weeks ago

Bhopal Police bans hate speech on social media to prevent communal unrest

India Today  

Bhopal Police on Saturday issued a prohibitory order to curb the misuse of social media platforms in spreading hatred, inciting violence, and disrupting communal harmony. The move followed concerns that certain anti-social elements have been leveraging platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram to circulate objectionable messages, images, and videos that could provoke communal tensions. The order explicitly prohibits …

I&B ministry issues advisory to OTT platforms over obscene content
1 month, 1 week ago

I&B ministry issues advisory to OTT platforms over obscene content

Live Mint  

The ministry of information and broadcasting has issued an advisory to publishers of online curated content and social media regarding alleged spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content after having received references from members of Parliament, representations from statutory organizations and public grievances. The advisory pointed to the Information Technology Rules, 2021, that provide for a Code of Ethics for …

Outrage over Indian YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia raises social media regulation concerns
1 month, 1 week ago

Outrage over Indian YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia raises social media regulation concerns

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — A famous YouTuber in India is facing public outrage and a police investigation after he made an allegedly obscene remark on a YouTube show, raising questions about freedom of speech in a country where digital creators in the past have come under fire for their content. The controversy began last week when social media influencer and YouTuber …

Parl panel seeks I.T. ministry reply on how law tackles obscene content
1 month, 1 week ago

Parl panel seeks I.T. ministry reply on how law tackles obscene content

Hindustan Times  

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the parliamentary standing committee on communications and information technology, on Wednesday sought a note from the ministry on the efficacy of existing laws to deal with obscene content, and the need to amend the existing IT Act, 2000. According to a senior functionary of the panel, it is set to recommend to …

Vietnam's strict new social media regulations strangle free speech, says human rights group
1 month, 1 week ago

Vietnam's strict new social media regulations strangle free speech, says human rights group

The Hindu  

New government regulations on social media in Vietnam give authorities increased powers to prevent dissent and control the news, along with the tools to more easily track down critics and silence them, according to an analysis released Tuesday, February 18, 2025. “Vietnam’s authorities implemented ‘Decree 147’ in December, tightening regulations on social media companies like Facebook, X, YouTube and TikTok …

Vietnam’s strict new social media regulations strangle free speech, report says
1 month, 1 week ago

Vietnam’s strict new social media regulations strangle free speech, report says

Associated Press  

BANGKOK — New government regulations on social media in Vietnam give authorities increased powers to prevent dissent and control the news, along with the tools to more easily track down critics and silence them, according to an analysis released Tuesday. Vietnam’s authorities implemented “Decree 147” in December, tightening regulations on social media companies like Facebook, X, YouTube and TikTok in …

Bill to regulate social media raises risk of free speech and free press being casualty in Nepal
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Bill to regulate social media raises risk of free speech and free press being casualty in Nepal

The Hindu  

The K. P. Sharma Oli government’s move to enact new laws in Nepal to regulate social media has met with fierce criticism, with free speech advocates warning of serious implications for freedom of expression in the country. Communications and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung registered the “Bill Related to Operation, Use, and Regulation of Social Media in Nepal” in …

In the race to make social media safer, the UK is lagging dangerously behind
1 month, 4 weeks ago

In the race to make social media safer, the UK is lagging dangerously behind

The Independent  

When the last government tasked the communications watchdog Ofcom with cleaning up social media, it seemed an odd choice. Extra rules for the largest social media platforms have been delayed, with a consultation on those rules now promised by “early 2026” – meaning that, on current form, those rules won’t kick in until 2027. Last summer, as inflammatory falsehoods on …

Explained: The controversy over Pakistan’s bill that could jail people for disinformation on social media
2 months ago

Explained: The controversy over Pakistan’s bill that could jail people for disinformation on social media

Firstpost  

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, swiftly passed in Pakistan’s lower house of parliament following an opposition walkout, has sparked controversy. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, introduced in the National Assembly by Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, proposes the creation of an agency with the authority to immediately block content on social media deemed “unlawful and offensive.” This …

Pakistan’s parliament passes bill with sweeping controls on social media
2 months ago

Pakistan’s parliament passes bill with sweeping controls on social media

The Hindu  

Pakistan’s lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a controversial bill that will give the government sweeping controls on social media, including sending users to prison for spreading disinformation. The bill was quickly passed after lawmakers from the opposition party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan staged a walkout to denounce the law. Farhatullah Babar, a leading human rights …

Social-media companies decide content moderation is trending down
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Social-media companies decide content moderation is trending down

Live Mint  

Social-media companies never wanted to aggressively police content on their platforms. Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Meta Platforms will end fact-checking and remove speech restrictions across Facebook and Instagram shows how Donald Trump’s presidential election, and the U.S. political winds that swept him into a second term, have sharply accelerated a move by social-media giants away from refereeing what is said …

Celebrities hit back at social media trolls with defamation suits to safeguard their reputations
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Celebrities hit back at social media trolls with defamation suits to safeguard their reputations

Live Mint  

Celebrities are increasingly considering filing suits against media platforms that carry defamatory content by trolls, having become more cognisant of the damage that can be caused as the dissemination and consumption of content on the Internet surges. “In India, celebrities increasingly resort to filing defamation suits against media outlets, including traditional media houses and social media platforms. This trend has …

Australia's social media ban for under-16s sparks debate
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Australia's social media ban for under-16s sparks debate

China Daily  

By Barry He in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2024-12-02 11:18 A schoolboy looks at his phone in Melbourne on Nov 27, 2024 as Australia looks to ban children under 16 from social media. While many agree that social media can be harmful to the development of young people, a legally enforceable ban leaves many unsure of the …

Australia lawmakers pass landmark social-media ban for under-16s
4 months ago

Australia lawmakers pass landmark social-media ban for under-16s

Live Mint  

Australia is set to become the first country to ban social media use by under-16s after the country’s Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of strict new legislation. “Social media is doing harm to our children and I’m calling time on it," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when the bill was introduced to Parliament earlier this month. The legislation marks …

Vaishnaw Calls for Stronger Laws to Address Social Media Obscenity
4 months ago

Vaishnaw Calls for Stronger Laws to Address Social Media Obscenity

Deccan Chronicle  

Vaishnaw highlighted that the rise of deepfakes, misinformation, and slanderous material poses significant societal risks. To tackle these issues, the government is revising intermediary rules to ensure platforms take proactive measures in identifying and addressing such content. He also underscored the development of an institutional framework for the digital economy, which includes recently enacted legislations like the Telecom Bill and …

Need stricter laws to curb ‘vulgar content’ on OTT, says Ashwini Vaishnaw
4 months ago

Need stricter laws to curb ‘vulgar content’ on OTT, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Hindustan Times  

Stronger laws are required to deal with obscenity in social media, Union minister of information and broadcasting and electronics and information technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, especially since they lack the editorial checks of traditional media. Vaishnaw was responding to first time BJP MP Arun Govil’s question on whether a mechanism existed to check “telecast …

Ashwini Vaishnaw urges stronger regulations for social media, OTT content
4 months ago

Ashwini Vaishnaw urges stronger regulations for social media, OTT content

Live Mint  

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said that there is a need to strengthen existing regulations to curb vulgar content on social media and over-the-top platforms, and called for a consensus on the same. Acknowledging the distinct cultural differences between India and the geographies where these platforms originated, Vaishnaw pointed out that India's cultural sensitivities differ greatly from those of …

Parliamentary proceedings: Need for strengthening laws governing social media and OTT platforms: Ashwini Vaishnaw
4 months ago

Parliamentary proceedings: Need for strengthening laws governing social media and OTT platforms: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Hindu  

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday emphasised the need to strengthen existing laws governing social media and OTT platforms and build a societal consensus on the issue. He said that due to the absence of such editorial oversight, social media had become a platform for freedom of the press, but it has also become a space …

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says stringent laws needed to curb vulgar content on social media
Trending News
4 months ago

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says stringent laws needed to curb vulgar content on social media

Hindustan Times  

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said there is a need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media platforms. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi. There is a need to make existing laws more stringent laws to curb vulgar content on social …

Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: I&B Minister Vaishnaw
4 months ago

Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: I&B Minister Vaishnaw

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said there is a need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media platforms. Today, social media is a platform for freedom of press but it is uncontrolled and there is vulgar content, the minister said during the Question Hour. There is a need to make existing …

Australia moves step closer to world-first social media ban for under-16s
Top News
4 months ago

Australia moves step closer to world-first social media ban for under-16s

Al Jazeera  

The House of Representatives votes overwhelmingly to pass legislation targeting platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Australia’s lower house of parliament has voted overwhelmingly to pass a landmark bill banning the use of social media by children under 16. Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan said the government had agreed to amendments made in the Senate that would bolster privacy protections for …

Doesn't match our culture: Minister for laws to curb social media vulgar content
4 months ago

Doesn't match our culture: Minister for laws to curb social media vulgar content

India Today  

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday called for laws to curb objectionable content on social media and hoped that the Opposition would have a discussion on the same. The government has urged social media platforms to be more proactive in content moderation, especially when it comes to harmful or illegal content. It said that social media companies …

'Parliament's standing committee to take up the issue', says Ashwini Vaishnaw on laws to check vulgar content
4 months ago

'Parliament's standing committee to take up the issue', says Ashwini Vaishnaw on laws to check vulgar content

India TV News  

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today spoke about the laws to check vulgar content on social media. Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content: Vaishnaw Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said there is a need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media platforms. There is a need to make …

Is social media doing more harm than good to democracy?
4 months, 1 week ago

Is social media doing more harm than good to democracy?

The Hindu  

In the U.K., The Guardian newspaper announced earlier this month that it will no longer be posting on X, claiming that it is “a toxic media platform” and that its owner, Elon Musk, “has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.” Is social media a useful tool or is it becoming a threat to democratic societies? Edited …

Australian parliament debates social media ban for children under 16
4 months, 1 week ago

Australian parliament debates social media ban for children under 16

Firstpost  

The world-first legislation would force social media firms to take steps to prevent those under 16 years of age from accessing platforms such as X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram Australian PM Anthony Albanese has endorsed banning children from registering social media accounts until they are 16. X/AlboMP Social media companies could be fined more than US$30 million if they fail …

Regulating the spread of mis/disinformation online is not an attack on freedom of speech
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Regulating the spread of mis/disinformation online is not an attack on freedom of speech

ABC  

Freedom of speech does not exist in Australia — at least not in the way Americans refer to it, the way it’s been popularised on social media. The Communications Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 looks to grant the Australian Communications and Media Authority powers to hold social media platforms to account, compelling them to disclose their policies and plans to combat …

YouTube, TikTok and Meta are all in the firing line for children to be banned from their platforms. Here's what we know
6 months, 2 weeks ago

YouTube, TikTok and Meta are all in the firing line for children to be banned from their platforms. Here's what we know

ABC  

Children are growing up with access to endless streams of content — posts from friends and family, mindless but harmless entertainment, as well as posts from extremist influencers, pornography, violent videos, and other material with the potential to cause great harm. Anthony Albanese vows to introduce legislation to ban children from accessing social media by the end of this year …

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone
6 months, 4 weeks ago

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone

Deccan Chronicle  

What can governments do about social media platforms? Amid a developing scenario in which both free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments are protesting the treatment being meted out to the CEO of Telegram who is facing the rigour of the law in France, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken an unusual stand to use the social media for boosting its popularity …

License them, censor them and make them pay: What Australians really think about social media
7 months, 1 week ago

License them, censor them and make them pay: What Australians really think about social media

ABC  

Australians overwhelmingly support regulating social media and censoring harmful content, with six in 10 people polled backing an unproven proposal to ban access to children, exclusive research for the ABC's Q+A shows. The weighted survey of 1,533 Australians showed 61 per cent supported restricting social media access to those younger than 17 — with similarly high support among Labor and …

Keir Starmer under pressure to order inquiry into social media to prevent it fuelling future riots
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Keir Starmer under pressure to order inquiry into social media to prevent it fuelling future riots

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We cannot let this moment go by without a proper …

Government will ‘look more broadly at social media’ after riots – Starmer
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Government will ‘look more broadly at social media’ after riots – Starmer

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Government will …

Social media moderation: How does it work and what is set to change?
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Social media moderation: How does it work and what is set to change?

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. There are several key issues with content moderation in general, including; the size of social …

The Supreme Court casts doubt on Florida and Texas laws to regulate social media platforms
8 months, 4 weeks ago

The Supreme Court casts doubt on Florida and Texas laws to regulate social media platforms

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday kept on hold efforts by Texas and Florida to limit how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users in a ruling that strongly defended the platforms’ free speech rights. “The court’s recognition that the government cannot control social media in an effort to impose its …

Major Social Media Sites Are Failing LGBTQ+ People: Report
10 months, 1 week ago

Major Social Media Sites Are Failing LGBTQ+ People: Report

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Major social media companies are failing to protect LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and harassment, according to a new report from GLAAD out Tuesday. The Social Media Safety Index report highlights how major platforms either do not have policies to protect user data or fail to enforce them; refuse to safeguard users against against online hate; and …

Opinion: There’s a clear way to regulate Facebook, TikTok and other social media
1 year ago

Opinion: There’s a clear way to regulate Facebook, TikTok and other social media

LA Times  

Powerful technology has perhaps never presented a bigger set of regulatory challenges for the U.S. government. Congress can create an independent authority responsible for establishing and enforcing baseline safety and privacy rules for social media companies. At minimum, companies would be banned from accepting payment from terrorist groups looking to verify social media accounts, as the Tech Transparency Project found …

'We don't want insurrectionists': Justice Kagan blows up on Florida's social media law
1 year, 1 month ago

'We don't want insurrectionists': Justice Kagan blows up on Florida's social media law

Raw Story  

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan grilled Florida solicitor Henry Whitaker over laws that would prevent social media companies from taking down objectionable content during oral arguments at the Court on Monday. "I mean, we point out in our brief that when we think that if you had a, an internet platform that indeed had a platform driven message, was selective …

Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s arguments on Texas and Florida’s social media laws and the First Amendment
1 year, 1 month ago

Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s arguments on Texas and Florida’s social media laws and the First Amendment

CNN  

CNN — The Supreme Court expressed skepticism Monday about state laws in Texas and Florida designed to stop social media giants from throttling conservative views but also suggested that whatever decision emerges may not be the court’s final word on the significant First Amendment questions raised by the case. The justices struggled with sweeping First Amendment questions about whether social …

Opinion: How the Supreme Court should rule on Texas and Florida laws against social media moderation
1 year, 1 month ago

Opinion: How the Supreme Court should rule on Texas and Florida laws against social media moderation

LA Times  

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in two cases that could have a profound effect on the future of the internet and social media. The cases — NetChoice vs. Paxton and Moody vs. NetChoice — involve laws in Texas and Florida that prohibit social media companies from removing content from their platforms, clearly violating the 1st Amendment rights of …

Does the First Amendment apply to social media moderation? The U.S. Supreme Court will decide
1 year, 1 month ago

Does the First Amendment apply to social media moderation? The U.S. Supreme Court will decide

Salon  

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will consider whether the First Amendment’s freedom of speech clause applies to social media companies’ content moderation. The Supreme Court’s review of the laws represents the first major examination of if and …

Centre Not Interested In Censorship, 11 Unlawful Types Of Content Covered By IT Act: Rajeev Chandrasekhar At DNPA Conclave & Awards 2024
1 year, 1 month ago

Centre Not Interested In Censorship, 11 Unlawful Types Of Content Covered By IT Act: Rajeev Chandrasekhar At DNPA Conclave & Awards 2024

ABP News  

New Delhi: Reiterating the Government’s focus on safeguarding users' safety and protection of their data, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said that the Internet “cannot become a space where the law can’t reach”. Speaking during a fireside chat at the Digital News Publishers …

Under-16s could face limits on social media
1 year, 3 months ago

Under-16s could face limits on social media

The Telegraph  

Under-16s could be forced to ask their parents for permission before using social media under proposals being considered by Rishi Sunak. Ministers are devising plans for a consultation on the potential harms to children from social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok in the new year, which could lead to teenagers being forced to obtain their parents’ permission to …

Deepfake menace: Govt warns of stern action, meets social media platforms
1 year, 3 months ago

Deepfake menace: Govt warns of stern action, meets social media platforms

Live Mint  

To tackle the deepfake issue, a review meeting between the government and the social media platforms was held on Tuesday, said a report by PTI citing sources. According to the report, some social media platforms have complied and those who are “slow” in doing so have been given additional time. In Tuesday's meeting, the government has made it clear that …

Posting social media content that promotes disharmony will soon be criminalised in J&K: DGP
1 year, 3 months ago

Posting social media content that promotes disharmony will soon be criminalised in J&K: DGP

Hindustan Times  

Posting any content on social media that promotes disharmony will be a criminal offence in Jammu and Kashmir, director general of police RR Swain said on Thursday. Posting such messages or videos by “terrorists, separatists or anti-national elements” will be a crime, Swain said.” Under 144 CrPC, we have decided to bring a law on the posting of any type …

Nikki Haley walks back her demand that social media ban anonymous posters after facing GOP backlash
1 year, 4 months ago

Nikki Haley walks back her demand that social media ban anonymous posters after facing GOP backlash

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nikki Haley on Wednesday partially walked back her proposed requirement that social media companies ban people from posting anonymously online for national security reasons, a stance for which she drew backlash across conservative social media and some of her GOP presidential rivals. “When you do that, all of a sudden people have to stand by what they …

Nepal bans TikTok saying it is ‘disrupting social harmony’
1 year, 4 months ago

Nepal bans TikTok saying it is ‘disrupting social harmony’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nepal has become the latest …

The Supreme Court Is Reconsidering Its Entire Approach to the Internet. Uh-Oh.
1 year, 4 months ago

The Supreme Court Is Reconsidering Its Entire Approach to the Internet. Uh-Oh.

Slate  

This is part of Opening Arguments, Slate’s coverage of the start of the latest Supreme Court term. By the end of next June, the Supreme Court will decide whether state laws compelling social media platforms to carry content they would otherwise exclude violate the platforms’ free speech rights, whether federal agencies and officials have unlawfully coerced platforms to remove posts …

Nepal to ban TikTok as it ‘disturbs social harmony’
1 year, 4 months ago

Nepal to ban TikTok as it ‘disturbs social harmony’

Al Jazeera  

Authorities cite the popular Chinese video-sharing platform’s negative effects and ask internet service providers to close the app. Nepal says it will ban TikTok, adding that social harmony and goodwill are being disturbed by “misuse” of the popular video-sharing app and that there is rising demand to control it. Nepal’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the …

The Supreme Court Will Decide if Texas Is Allowed to Kill the Internet
1 year, 5 months ago

The Supreme Court Will Decide if Texas Is Allowed to Kill the Internet

Slate  

This is part of Opening Arguments, Slate’s coverage of the start of the latest Supreme Court term. The answer, which lies at the heart of a pair of cases the Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday, could fundamentally alter the nature and operation of social media platforms and the internet itself. Reacting to complaints from the political right that …

Elon Musk’s social media site X sues California over the state’s content moderation law
1 year, 6 months ago

Elon Musk’s social media site X sues California over the state’s content moderation law

Associated Press  

Elon Musk’s social media platform formerly known as Twitter has sued the state of California over a law requiring social media companies to publish their policies for removing offending material such as hate speech, misinformation and harassment. In a lawsuit filed Friday against state Attorney General Robert Bonta, X Corp. challenges the “constitutionality and legal validity” of the law, saying …

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