Google says yes. Google to comply with new IT Rules, says Sundar Pichai

Our Bureau Updated - December 06, 2021 at 07:17 AM.

Whatsapp has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the new IT rule

FILE PHOTO: Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during signing ceremony committing Google to help expand information technology education at El Centro College in Dallas, Texas, U.S. October 3, 2019. REUTERS/Brandon Wade/File Photo

Google is planning to comply with India's new IT Rules, CEO Sundar Pichai has said as per media reports.

As per reports, Pichai has said that the tech giant is committed to comply with the local laws. Pichai further said that the company’s local teams are engaging with the government adding that the company engages with governments across the world and participates in such processes.

The company will also continue to publish its transparency reports where it highlights times when it has complied with legal information requests from governments, as per reports.

The government has asked social media companies, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, to report compliance with the new IT rules that came into effect on Wednesday, as per previous reports

India had announced its new Intermediary Rules on February 25 February, with the Centre giving significant social media intermediaries that have over 50 lakh users, three months to comply with them.

The new rules require them to take down any content flagged by the authorities within 36 hours and set up a robust mechanism to respond to complaints. Companies were asked to appoint chief compliance officers, who would be responsible for taking down objectionable content/posts within 24 hours of receiving a complaint from competent authorities.

A spokesperson for Facebook had previously said that the company was in talks with the government to iron out issues with the new requirements but will aim to comply with the laws.

Facebook-owned company WhatsApp meanwhile has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the new IT rule that requires all social media companies to trace the originator of any message on their platforms.

Published on May 27, 2021 07:39