Post new IT rules deadline, social media companies' future looks dark

Experts say companies qualifying as social media intermediaries may lose safe harbour protection under existing law

With the deadline to comply with India's new social media rules ending on Tuesday, social media companies remain in the dark as to how the rules will play out.  

There has been little clarity on their fate — the government has shed no light on it — though some experts say that, as social media intermediaries, the companies could lose their safe harbour protection under the existing law.

According to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, published on February 25, a ‘significant social media intermediary’ has to appoint a chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person