IGAP report analyses Social Media compliance with India’s IT Rules 2021, ET BrandEquity

Representative imageThe Internet Governance and Policy Project (IGAP) has released its latest report titled “Social Media Transparency Reporting: A Performance Review,” assessing the compliance of major social media platforms with India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The report covers the content moderation and grievance redressal practices of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Snap, ShareChat and Koo from June 2021 to December 2023, highlighting the need for improved transparency and accountability to Indian users.The report identifies significant gaps in the transparency of social media platforms’ content moderation practices, with some platforms like Facebook and YouTube providing relatively comprehensive reports, while others, such as Koo and LinkedIn, offer limited data. This inconsistency makes it challenging to assess their adherence to the content moderation guidelines. IGAP’s study also emphasizes a lack of clarity regarding the use of automated monitoring tools by platforms like Snap and ShareChat, raising concerns about their effectiveness in handling harmful content, including hate speech and child exploitation.Additionally, the report points out the complexity of grievance redressal mechanisms on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X, which maintain both global and India-specific systems. This situation leads to confusion for users and inconsistencies in data reporting. The report stresses the importance of providing more detailed disclosures, particularly on content moderation in regional Indian languages, law enforcement requests, and actions against repeat offenders.

Rakesh Maheswari, the lead author and former senior director and group coordinator for cyber laws and data governance division at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), stated, “Social media platforms have a responsibility to create a transparent and accountable digital environment, especially given their influence on public discourse. This report underscores the need for uniform, more granular reporting in line with the intent of IT Rules, 2021 and aims to help bridge the gaps in content moderation practices across platforms operating in India.”

IGAP’s report also provides a comparative analysis with international frameworks such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act. It presents actionable recommendations for improving transparency and compliance practices among Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs).

The report’s key recommendations include the need for more granular disclosures by social media platforms. These platforms should provide detailed data on user complaints, content removals, and the diversity of Indian languages to ensure fair and equitable moderation practices. Additionally, the report calls for platforms to adopt standardized reporting formats to improve the accessibility and comparison of data across different platforms.

Another vital recommendation is the improved oversight of automated tools used in content moderation. The report emphasises the need for clearer reporting on the types of content flagged and removed by automated systems, focusing on emerging concerns such as misinformation, deepfakes, and synthetic media.

In conclusion, IGAP’s report highlights the need for enhanced transparency and accountability in social media platforms’ content moderation and grievance redressal practices. By addressing these issues, the report aims to ensure a safer and more transparent digital environment for Indian users.

• Published On Oct 23, 2024 at 07:07 PM IST

Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals

Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis.

Download ETBrandEquity App

• Get Realtime updates
• Save your favourite articles

Scan to download App