Cyber Laws

Government Notifies Amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics code) Rules, 2021

06.04.2023

The Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India notified amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, related to online gaming and spread of false and misleading information regarding government business. The aim of the amendments is to enforce greater due diligence by online gaming and social media intermediaries in respect of online games and fake or false misleading information related to Government business. Rules will ensure that, Online games or sites that involve wagering will be banned completely including advertising or any time of presence.

As per the amended rules, it has been made obligatory on the part of intermediaries to make reasonable effort to not host, publish or share any online game that can cause the user harm, or that has not been verified as a permissible online game by an online gaming self-regulatory body/bodies designated by the Central Government. The intermediary will also have to ensure that no advertisement or surrogate advertisement or promotion of an online game that is not a permissible online game, is hosted on its platform.

The amended rules now also make it obligatory on the intermediaries to not to publish, share or host fake, false or misleading information in respect of any business of the Central Government. These fake, false or misleading information will identified by the notified Fact Check Unit of the Central Government. it is to be noted that the existing IT rules already required the intermediaries to make reasonable efforts to not host, publish or share any information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature. The rules already cast an obligation on intermediaries to make reasonable efforts to not host, publish or share any information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature.

Tags : Rules Amendment Online gaming

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