New Delhi: Facebook Inc., the world’s largest social network that houses WhatsApp and Instagram as well, aims to “comply” with India’s new IT rules that come into effect on Wednesday.
The billionaire Mark Zuckerberg-led company also “continues to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government. Pursuant to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies,” a spokesperson told ET in a statement. “Facebook remains committed to people’s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform,” a Facebook spokesperson told.
Facebook, WhatsApp, Google and Twitter run the risk of losing their status as social media “intermediaries” and may become liable for criminal action if they do not comply with the revised regulations that come into effect on Wednesday.
Significant social media intermediaries were given three months’ time to comply with the new Information Technology rules that were notified in February. Till date, however, none of the top global platforms have complied, sources said. Only India’s Koo app has.
The government has fixed five million registered users as the threshold for defining a significant social media intermediary. It has directed the appointment of a resident grievance officer, chief compliance officer and nodal contact person and to publish their details on the website, along with a physical contact address. The rules also mandate traceability of the originator of messages, along with a provision for voluntary verification as a means to establish user identity.
