The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (the “Intermediary Rules”) fundamentally change the way the internet will be experienced in India. We provide you with an overview of its contents, the “safeguards” it seeks to establish, how they affect your internet usage experience, and your fundamental rights. Most notably, the Rules now will bring government control rather than regulation over digital news platforms and OTT video content providers. Several requirements under them suffer from unconstitutionality and undermine the free expression and privacy for millions of internet users in India.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://internetfreedom.in/intermediaries-rules-2021/