Facebook, Twitter to be blocked in India tomorrow? Here is what we know so far 

New Delhi: Will we loss access to Facebook and Twitter on 26th May? The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the rules in the gazette on February 25 and asked social media companies (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Koo) to comply within three months

According to reports, if the companies do not follow the rules, their status as intermediaries may end, and they may be subject to criminal prosecution. The deadline ends today on May 25, and reportedly only one company has appointed such officials.

The Desi version of Twitter, Koo was the only social media app that has complied with the new guidelines. And, now, Facebook said it aims to comply with the provisions of India’s new IT rules and will continue to discuss the few issues “which need more engagement” with the government.

“We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government. Pursuant to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies,” said a Facebook spokesperson

Briefing the media about the new rules on February 25, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said that though the government welcomes criticism and the right to dissent, “but it is very important for the users of social media to have a forum to raise their grievance against the misuse of social media.”

Under the new rules, social media platforms will have to have a grievance redressal mechanism, they will also have to name a grievance officer who shall register the grievance within 24 hours and disposal in 15 days.

The government had said that if there are complaints against the dignity of users, particularly women – about exposed private parts of individuals or nudity or sexual act or impersonation etc – social media platforms will be required to remove that within 24 hours after a complaint is made.

As per the guidelines, first, the social media platforms will have to have a chief compliance officer residing in India responsible for ensuring compliance with the act and the rules.

Second is a nodal contact person who should reside in India for 24X7 coordination with law enforcement agencies. Also, social media platforms have to appoint a resident grievance officer who shall perform the grievance redressal mechanism as indicated. They also will have to publish a monthly report about the number of complaints received and the status of redressal.