DBT Bureau
Pune, 27 Nov 2024
The Government of India has introduced a series of initiatives to tackle the growing threat of online fraud, fake news, and misleading advertisements, aimed at ensuring a safe, trustworthy, and accountable internet for users across the country.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken significant steps to address these issues through the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021), which impose stringent due diligence requirements on online platforms. These rules mandate that intermediaries, such as social media platforms and e-commerce websites, must not host, display, or promote any content that violates Indian laws. Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in platforms losing their immunity from liability for third-party content under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
Further bolstering these efforts, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has issued an advisory through the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) in response to the increasing number of advertisements promoting illegal activities. The CCPA’s advisory, dated March 6, 2024, explicitly bans advertisements that endorse unlawful activities under various laws, emphasizing consumer protection from fraudulent and misleading marketing tactics.
In addition, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has warned media platforms against promoting online betting services through advertisements, including surrogate ads that target Indian consumers. The MIB’s advisory, issued on March 21, 2024, prohibits advertisements that glamorize or indirectly promote gambling or betting platforms.
The Government has also strengthened the grievance redressal mechanisms to address complaints related to cyber fraud. Under the IT Rules, 2021, all intermediaries are required to appoint a Grievance Officer to address consumer complaints in a timely manner. Users dissatisfied with the resolution of their grievances can appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within 30 days.
For e-commerce consumers, the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 lay out clear guidelines to safeguard against unfair trade practices, mandating that e-commerce platforms act transparently and offer easy access to grievance redressal. The Department of Consumer Affairs has also issued new Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, to curb deceptive practices used by online platforms to manipulate consumer behavior.
On the cybersecurity front, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ramped up efforts to combat cybercrime by establishing the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which coordinates law enforcement agencies to tackle cybercrime across the country. Additionally, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched, allowing citizens to report various types of cybercrime, which are then routed to the appropriate state or union territory law enforcement agencies for investigation.
These concerted actions by the Government of India reflect its commitment to creating a secure digital environment and protecting consumers from fraud, cybercrimes, and unethical practices in the online ecosystem.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Jitin Prasada in a written reply in LokSabha.
