“Taking into account the transition period required for the intermediaries according to their requests and technical requirements, the online platform will be operational one month after this notification of the Complaints Appeal Committee, i.e. from March 1, 2023,” read an official statement.
According to the announcement, each of the three GACs will have a chair, two full-time members from various government agencies, and retired industry executives for a three-year term from the date of inauguration.
“The GAC is a critical part of the overall policy and legal framework to ensure the internet is open, secure, trustworthy and accountable in India. The need for the GAC arose because a large number of grievances from internet intermediaries were not addressed or were inadequately addressed. GAC is expected to create a culture of responsiveness among all internet platforms and intermediaries towards their consumers,” the statement said.
The GAC will be a virtual digital platform, operated only online and digitally – with the entire process, from the filing of the complaint to its decision, being conducted digitally.
“Users have the opportunity to appeal the decision of the Complaints Officer of social media intermediaries and other online intermediaries before this new appellate body. The committee will endeavor to resolve the user’s complaint within 30 days,” the statement added.
According to the announcement, each of the three GACs will have a chair, two full-time members from various government agencies, and retired industry executives for a three-year term from the date of inauguration.
The first panel is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center at the Ministry of the Interior.
Ashutosh Shukla, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, and Sunil Soni, former chief general manager and chief information officer of Punjab National Bank (PNB), have been appointed full-time members of the panel.
The second body is chaired by the joint secretary of the Department of Politics and Administration in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The third panel will be chaired by Kavita Bhatia, a senior scientist at the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.
Former Indian Railways Traffic Manager Sanjay Goel and former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IDBI Intech Krishnagiri Ragothamarao have been appointed full-time members of the third panel.
The notification is part of the stricter IT rules announced in October 2022 for the establishment of state-appointed GACs.
Following the announcement of IT’s social media rules, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said compliance with rules and laws is not an “option” or “cherry picking” for the platforms.
He had warned that if rules are not followed, the “safe haven protections” enjoyed by these platforms will be lost.
Providing safe harbor under the IT laws gives Internet platforms – social media, e-commerce, etc. – protection from the content posted by users.
“The government is looking at the internet through the prism of keeping it safe and holding it accountable for 120 million digital nagriks (digital citizens). A secure and trusted internet is an essential part of the goal of the $1 trillion digital economy,” the minister said.
