Relevance : GS Paper II & III ( Polity & Governance & Science & technology)
A balance between free speech and curbing misinformation is proving to be a challenge .
The across the globe are demanding more aggressive intervention by internet platforms in filtering the content they host.
India’s recent intervention
Draft of the Information Technology Act 2018 mandates the platforms to remove or disable public access to unlawful information or content.
Is such an intervention justified?
- The vague wording of the law does not provide clarity.
- It can lead to over-compliance to avoid expensive litigation.
- The govt is engaging in ‘censorship by proxy’ through private sector.
Problems with automated technologies
- Incomplete or inaccurate training data
- Further, an algorithmically driven solution is an amorphous process.
Way forward
- crafting of mechanisms that can differentiate between false content and unlawful content.
- users of an online platform should be encouraged to regulate the flow of information.
- oversight and grievance redressal mechanism to address any potential violation
- use of Application Programme Interfaces (APIs) or ‘Public Interest Algorithms’
- community driven social mechanisms to raise awareness
Conclusion
A mix of empirical and legal analysis is needed to calibrate a set of policy interventions that may work for India today.
