Highlighting the urgent need to strengthen existing laws governing social media and OTT platforms, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Railways, and Electronics and IT, emphasised that the cultural sensitivities of India vastly differ from those of the regions where these platforms were created. This makes it imperative for India to make existing laws more stricter and he urged everyone to come to a consensus on this matter.
“There should be societal consensus on it, along with stricter laws to address this challenge,” he said.
Speaking on the subject, he said, “We are living in the era of . However, the democratic institutions and traditional forms of the press that once relied on editorial checks to ensure accountability and correctness of content, have seen these checks diminish over time.”
He noted that due to the absence of such editorial oversight, social media has become a platform for freedom of press on one hand, but on the other hand, it has also become a space for uncontrolled expression, which often includes vulgar content.
The Minister also urged the Parliamentary Standing Committee to take up this important matter issue as a priority.
