Guidelines for online gaming aimed at ensuring open, safe internet space: Minister

New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): The government policies for online gaming service providers and intermediaries are aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet space for its users, Union minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar informed Parliament this week.

“With the expansion of the internet and more and more Indians coming online, the potential for Indians being exposed to information which may be addictive in nature, inappropriate for children, depicts violence or is harmful to mental health, has grown,” the minister said on Friday. He further said to help achieve the aim of making safe, the government has recently laid down Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

These rules, he said, cast specific obligations on intermediaries, including intermediaries offering online games, to observe diligence and provide that if they fail to observe such diligence, they shall no longer be exempt from their liability under law for third-party information or data or communication link hosted by them, including on websites.

The intermediaries must make efforts to cause its user not to host, display, publish, transmit or share any information (including information in the nature of an online game) that is harmful to child, causes incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence, relates to encourages gambling, or violates any law.

The service providers must have in place a grievance redressal machinery, and resolve complaints of violation of the rules within 72 hours of being reported and, in case of a complaint by an individual or her/his authorised representative, remove within 24 hours any content which prima facie exposes the private area of such individual, shows such individual in full or partial nudity or shows or depicts such individual in any sexual act or conduct.

Also, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued an advisory, advising the print and electronic media to refrain from publishing advertisements of online betting platforms, and online and social media, including online advertisement intermediaries and publishers, not to display such advertisements in India.