Tighter rules likely for social media firms, may supersede IT laws: Experts

Players stand to lose safe harbour provisions that protect them from third party content; platforms that do not act as intermediaries may be treated as publishers, held accountable for hosted content

The Personal Data Protection Bill, which according to news reports is likely to suggest that social media intermediaries be considered platforms, and those not identified as intermediaries be considered publishers, it could override the existing Information Technology Act and Rules, according to experts.

According to news reports, the Joint Parliamentary Committee deliberating the PDP Bill has suggested classifying social media intermediaries (governed by IT Rules and IT Act) as platforms, which could potentially make them lose safe harbour provisions that protect them from third party content. Further, the JPC is also reported to have considered that all social media platforms