Home/ Industry / Media/ New social media guidelines will keep nefarious elements at bay: Koo co-founder

Back

New social media guidelines will keep nefarious elements at bay: Koo co-founder

1 min read Sangeeta Ojha 26 Feb 2021, 07:12 AM IST

Made-in-India microblogging platform Koo said the new guidelines will help clarify the responsibilities of intermediaries
The government has tightened rules governing social media and streaming companies

Small toy figures are seen in front of displayed Koo app logo in this illustration taken, (REUTERS)

The government has tightened rules governing social media and streaming companies, requiring them to take down contentious content quicker, appoint grievance redressal officers and assist investigations. This has been done with a view to making social media and OTT companies accountable for "misuse and abuse" of their platforms.

Made-in-India microblogging platform Koo said the new guidelines will help clarify the responsibilities of intermediaries.

"Only a small fraction of the social media users are found to be making posts which may be against the laws of the land. The social media guidelines help make addressing this kind of situations uniform across all social media platforms and ensure the safety of the majority of social media users across India," said Koo co-founder Mayank Bidawataka.

Also Read | The limits to India’s privatization push

He further added enabling and maintaining freedom of speech is core to social media platforms, and that the company will continue to work in the best interest of our users at all times and ensure that they have a great experience.

"At the same time, we are committed to abiding by the laws of the land. This policy will help protect the interest of citizens at large and keep nefarious elements at bay," Mayank Bidawataka said.

What is Koo app?

Koo app, an Indian alternative to Twitter. The app lets users send out tweet-like posts in English as well as seven Indian languages.

Intermediary rules

As per the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, the Rules seek to empower the users by mandating the intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, to establish a grievance redressal mechanism for receiving resolving complaints from the users or victims.

According to the guidelines, users who wish to verify their accounts voluntarily shall be provided with an appropriate mechanism to do so and provided with a demonstrable and visible mark of verification