Facebook, Twitter Compliance Failure Calls Trouble; Will They Be Banned In India?

India is one of the hubs for the social media giants such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All these platforms have quite a strong user base in the country and the numbers are growing with the new features and services being introduced. However, the Indian government has been setting up stringent guidelines for these social media companies for their operations in the country.

Earlier this year, the Indian Ministry of Information and Technology (MeitY) announced a new set of IT guidelines for these social media platforms giving a deadline of three months to accept the same. The deadline is almost over and none of the brands has yet complied or acknowledged the new policy. Will this lead to a ban on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter? Here's what you need to know:

What Is The Indian Government's New Policy For Social Media Platforms?

The new set of guidelines for social media brands like Facebook and Twitter were rolled out by the Indian government back in February this year. With the new guidelines, all such social media platforms were asked to keep a tab on objectionable content and pull it down as soon as they are flagged.

Additionally, the government has also asked these companies to set up a distinct compliance system by appointing compliance officials who can monitor and remove such content and also make a compliance report. The details of such officials (name and contact address) need to be shared with the government for easy monitoring.

What's Facebook, Twitter, And Other Social Media Platforms Take On This?

Just for reference, MeitY had set the deadline to accept the new IT policy by February 25, 2021. The three-month deadline almost over, yet none of the brands has responded to this matter. In fact, all the social media giants are yet to accept the new policy announced by the Indian government.

Since there is no official statement yet from these companies, we can't say for sure what their plans are. If they plan to comply with the new rules or will challenge the policy changes.

Will Facebook, Instagram, And Twitter Banned In India?

Rumors are rife that Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram might face a ban in India soon if they fail to comply with the new IT guidelines. The Indian government has reportedly notified these companies of the expiring deadline and their failure to comply.

If these brands still don't respond, chances are they might face some consequences. Whether or not they will be banned entirely from operations in India remains to be seen. However, we have seen the government taking strong measures earlier with Chinese apps.

TikTok and PUBG are the best examples where we saw a blanket ban by the government in India. This makes us believe Facebook and other apps might meet a similar fate if they don't comply. But, that's what we are guessing and might not happen for real. We will have to wait for the government to announce its final call.