What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
While India’s approach to checking the unhinged perils of the digital world has been a subject of contention for the self-appointed custodians of democracy, it seems the ‘free society’ of the United States has taken a leaf out of the very approach.
In June this year, Union minister of state for electronic and technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar invited public input on the draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021. The amendments aim to make the internet open, safe and trusted along with accountability.
On September 8, the US embarked on a similar exercise as the White House convened a listening session with experts and practitioners on the harms that tech platforms cause and the need for greater accountability.
In the meeting, experts and practitioners identified concerns in six key areas: competition; privacy; youth mental health; misinformation and disinformation; illegal and abusive conduct, including sexual exploitation; and algorithmic discrimination and lack of transparency, the White House said in a statement.
The exercise, even if it is a baby step toward regulating the internet to curtail its ills, holds significance as MoS Chandrasekhar has been advocating these principles on several occasions. He has put it forward during public consultations for the IT intermediary rules amendments 2022, the national Data Governance framework policy and during deliberations at India Internet Governance Forum.
Reacting to the news, Chandrasekhar tweeted, “PM @narendramodi ji’s vision from his earliest days in leadership has been that Tech n Internet policies shd be built arnd citizens benefits n transformation n hence Open.Safe&Trusted and Accountable #Internet (sic).”
PM @narendramodi ji's vision from his earliest days in leadership has been that Tech n Internet policies shd be built arnd citizens benefits n transformation n hence Open. Safe&Trusted and Accountable #Internet @GoI_MeitY #DigitalIndia #IndiaTechade #NewIndia https://t.co/i29VxFddrF
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) September 11, 2022
Among the important points that came through the White House convened listening session, several participants raised concerns about the rampant collection of vast troves of personal data by tech platforms. “Some experts tied this to problems of misinformation and disinformation on platforms, explaining that social media platforms maximize “user engagement” for profit by using personal data to display content tailored to keep users’ attention – content that is often sensational, extreme, and polarizing,” the White House stated.
“Participants highlighted the risks to public safety that can stem from information recommended by platforms that promote radicalization, mobilization, and incitement to violence,” the White House said in the statement.
Experts also spoke about “lack of transparency means that the algorithms cannot be scrutinized by anyone outside the platforms themselves, creating a barrier to meaningful accountability”.
The experts also dwelled on the risks of social media use for the health and wellbeing of young people, explaining that while for some, technology provides benefits of social connection, there are also significant adverse clinical effects of prolonged social media use on many children and teensmental health, as well as concerns about the amount of data collected from apps used by children, and the need for better guardrails to protect children’s privacy and prevent addictive use and exposure to detrimental content.
Experts also highlighted the magnitude of illegal and abusive conduct hosted or disseminated by platforms, but for which they are currently shielded from being held liable and lack adequate incentive to reasonably address, such as child sexual exploitation, cyber stalking, and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images of adults.
