The Digital Media Code seeks to balance the priorities and interests of several stakeholders. The article explains the various aspects of the code.

Guidelines and ethics code

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India (MeitY) has announced the proposed Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code. 
• The guidelines will cover social networks, digital media companies, and OTT platforms.
• The guidelines will also make the nation’s sovereign stance clear on matters of ethics and the protection of freedom of expression of creators, publishers, and digital platform companies.
• The guidelines and ethics code seek to balance the questions of accountability and grievance redressal that are posed by the citizens of the country.

Balancing many priorities

• The ministry’s announcement reveals an approach that is aligned with the thinking of today without imposing unreasonable boundaries on the innovation and expression.
• The guidelines are designed to carefully balance the many priorities and contexts of all stakeholders.
• With this move, India continues to deepen its position as a leader in digital policy and technological innovation.
• These guidelines have been intentionally designed so that India’s next-gen digital media innovators can propel the acceleration of value generation and inclusive empowerment of their local users.
• Global companies that have large user bases in the country can also align with a common framework that protects creators and consumers alike.

Grievance redressal mechanism

• The proposal has mechanisms that empower every social and digital media intermediary to self-enforce effective mechanisms to address complaints from users.
• With a special focus on protecting the online safety and dignity of users, especially women, the guidelines have prioritised affirmative addressal of the most serious issues that have affected India’s digital population.
• The digital platform companies are empowered to report the first originator of the grievance-causing information.
• This will ensure that liability is limited while the country’s laws can be fully and effectively enforced on the actual perpetrators.

Addressing the arbitrary censorship

• Guidelines provide users with an opportunity to be heard — a vital defence against the arbitrary censorship that several social media platforms are increasingly embracing globally.
• The need of the hour is for every country to have a body of clearly-defined policy that is consistent with the principles of their democracies.
• The country’s guidelines will ensure that unlawful information has clear boundary conditions, liability is defined, the process for enforcement of orders is transparent.
• The guidelines will also ensure that all social and digital media companies can rely on a consistent definition of the ethics code that protects all participants in the digital ecosystem.

Conclusion

This light-touch, empowering, and inclusive regulatory architecture is exactly what the country was hoping for, and India’s citizens will applaud this move as a foundational pillar towards an Atmanirbhar India.

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