The State government will explore the option of a comprehensive law to curb fake online content, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was replying to a submission by P.V. Anvar, MLA, in the Assembly on Thursday to draw the government’s attention to alleged attempts by some people to disturb peace and harmony in the State through their YouTube news channel by exploiting loopholes that there were no laws to regulate such channels nor was a special licence required to start them.
The Chief Minister said the IT Principal Secretary has already been appointed as the nodal officer to examine complaints against YouTube channels and recommend to the designated officer those that needed to be blocked. The nodal officer could make such recommendations even on the basis of court judgments.
Content on YouTube that was in violation of the laws and those that affected the country’s sovereignty, unity, security, foreign relations, law and order, or communal harmony, and content that are defamatory or in contempt of court had been prohibited as per the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.
The Union government had entrusted a designated officer with blocking such content under circulation as per the Information Technology (Procedure ad Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009. It is to this officer that the nodal officer was to submit recommendations on complaints.
