New verification features may add to social media platforms' woes

According to sources, the government is likely to propose provisions to make social media platforms liable for content posted by non-verified user accounts, as part of the upcoming Digital India Bill

Earlier this month, Facebook parent Meta Platforms rolled out account verification with government ID proofs for content creators in India. Similarly, the largest professional network LinkedIn launched ID verification for Indian members. Though these announcements did not make big headlines, they have grabbed the attention of advocacy groups and data privacy experts.

Under the new Meta Verified service, the company accepts any photo ID issued by the government, as well as IDs from non-government organisations, official certificates or licences. As per Facebook’s help centre page, the copy of the ID document will be encrypted and stored securely. In special cases, the