Gaming SRBs must block harmful, addictive content: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Although betting and gambling fall under the purview of state governments, the central government will work to ensure that users are protected from the ills of online gaming, Vaishnaw said

The self-regulating bodies (SRBs) for online gaming, as proposed under the amended Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, should ensure five primary aspects: no harmful content in online games, no access for children, no addictive content, and proper age-rating and parental control mechanisms, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.

 

Although betting and gambling fall under the purview of state governments, the central government will work to ensure users are protected from the harms of online gaming, he said.

 

“According to our constitutional arrangement, betting and gambling fall under Entry 34 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. However, if we look at online gaming as an intermediary, it falls within the purview of the central government. So, in this complex framework, both states and the Centre must contribute,” Vaishnaw said in response to a question in the Lok Sabha.

 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology amended the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, in April 2023 to introduce a series of regulations for online gaming intermediaries, placing the onus on platforms to ensure that any game not verified as permissible is not made available to users in India.

 

Under the draft rules, the IT ministry also proposed that gaming companies and their industry associations could come together to form an SRB with the authority to regulate online gaming and real-money games and determine permissible and non-permissible games.

 

These SRBs, the IT ministry proposed, should be led by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court, or an eminent independent expert from the fields of media, broadcasting, entertainment, child rights, human rights, or other relevant areas. They should also include up to six additional members with expertise in these fields.