India's Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnow, said that if online platforms are not more regulated and held accountable, citizens' trust in them could weaken, reports The Hindu.

“If we do not increase regulation, if we do not make the work of social networks transparent, then the safety and trust of citizens in these social media will remain in question. It's a very, very fine line that we have to stick to. The world is developing. We all need to develop and shape ourselves in accordance with the ongoing changes,” the minister stressed, answering a question about the government’s plans to introduce additional rules to prevent the misuse of digital platforms.

“The bottom line with social media regulation is that keeping the balance needs to be discussed at length. We need to come to some kind of consensus, because when governments try to make IT giants accountable and protect the digital rights of citizens, the question of freedom of speech arises,” Vaishnau said.

He also said that almost all major social networks have complied with the latest requirements of the Indian government in the field of IT regulation, and also publish monthly reports on their activities. In addition, according to the minister, the Indian authorities are open to new proposals to ensure the transparency of online platforms.

Since May 2021, a law has been in force in the country that has established new requirements for regulating content on social networks, as well as obliging companies to create mechanisms for handling user complaints and appoint those responsible for interaction with law enforcement agencies. Similar legal initiatives are being developed or have already been introduced in other jurisdictions such as Turkey, Russia and the European Union.

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