India plans to overhaul rules governing use of the internet, potentially altering business practices for Silicon Valley giants operating in the world’s biggest market.
A first draft of the new law will be published in June, which is expected to carry proposals on a range of topics with the goal of creating an environment where Big Tech can operate while being more accountable to government and protect users.
The changes will impact how Alphabet Inc.’s Google to Meta Platforms Inc. to Amazon.com Inc. do business in a market the government estimates will expand to 1.3 billion internet users by 2025, from the current 830 million. India is the largest internet community and the world will follow what we do, Chandrasekhar said in an interview on the sidelines.
Open Internet
The nation’s antitrust regulator had in recent months imposed large fines on Google saying the firm wields too much power over the mobile market. On the potential overlap, Chandrasekhar said the government will decide if enforcement of some of these should rest with competition law or the Digital India Act.
In a move designed to make internet users identifiable and traceable, the new law may do away with so-called safe harbor provisions, the minister said. This means intermediary firms — such as Twitter and Facebook — may face legal liability for content shared by their users if they don’t provide user identification or traceability to the government when directed.
Content Monetization
A similar matter pertaining to news publishers is being investigated by the competition regulator.
|
Preamble |
Principles |
Digital Government |
Open Internet |
Online Safety and Trust including User Harm |
Intermediaries |
Accountability |
Regulatory Framework |
Emerging Technologies – Risks and Guard Rails |
Miscellaneous |
Source: Government presentation |
Another law on personal data protection is expected in the next parliament session. A national data governance policy and digital competition law are works in progress and changes to the penal code are also imminent, marking a complete overhaul of India’s digital laws.