IT Minister asks Social media firms for voluntary verification of users

Minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that social media platforms are required to enable users to voluntarily verify their accounts and provide them with visible marks of verification.

The minister further stated the government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and DigitalMedia Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, (“IT Rules 2021”) to ensure an open, safe and trusted and accountable internet for its users.

The minister said, “As per the rule 4(7) of the said Rules, the significant social media intermediaries shall enable users to voluntarily verify their accounts and such users’ accounts shall be provided with visible marks of verification.”

Rajeev Chandrasekhar also said that the new IT rules provide for identification of the first originator of the information on significant social media intermediary (SSMI) primarily providing messaging service, for the purposes of prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of an offence related to the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state etc.

“CERT-In has also issued directions under the provisions of sub-section (6) of section 70B of the IT Act, 2000 which cover aspects relating to subscriber/customer registrations details by data centres, Virtual Private Server (VPS) providers, VPN Service providers, etc,” he added.