Cybersecurity experts have mooted creation of an independent regulatory body on the lines of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to keep tabs on social media in the country.
The participants of a panel discussion that debated the propriety of regulating social media platforms in democratic societies as part of c0c0n 2021 annual conclave on Friday were unanimous in their demand for regulating cyberspace, especially social networking platforms that operate in India.
Jiten Jain, Director of Voyager Infosec, opined the proposed regulator should not be controlled by the government since it could spur accusations of political bias. The independent body should be empowered to provide day-to-day response as well as graded punishments for violating internet norms.
He also raised concern over the reluctance shown by social media platforms in complying with the rules of the country as well as the double standards shown while dealing with the regulations of various countries.
“Facebook and Twitter could silence a sitting President of the United States (former President Donald Trump), but have turned down the Government of India’s order to take down handles operated by extremist organisations that work against the country’s interests,” he said.
Dinesh O. Bareja, chief operating officer, Open Security Alliance, rued the absence of any inquiry instituted against social media platforms in wake of the revelations made by the Facebook whistle-blower Frances Haugen. “Despite the country being mentioned in such disclosures, no committee has taken suo motu notice and issued a strongly-worded directive. Our institutions lack teeth,” he said.
He felt the regulatory body must ideally become a judicial authority that looked into all aspects of cyberworld.
Cybersecurity and cyberlaw expert Prashant Mali advocated the evolution of a formal law by the United Nations to govern the Internet that could be later adopted by countries in a manner that suited their Constitution. He also called for regulating the social media with extensive public consultations.
Apar Gupta, executive director of Internet Freedom Foundation, felt social media platforms should be perceived as companies that work to maximise profits by serving their users advertisements and gathering information to ensure their products were ‘addictive’. They play to the human nature by feeding the people’s base desires such as polarity, hate, social division etc.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology must release a white paper to develop consensus among the industry, academics, experts, and digital rights groups prior to setting up a regulatory authority, he added.
