India likely to bring bill to regulate digital media

• Shubham
• 15 July, 2022

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By: Shubham Ghosh

AT a time when digital material is often accused of crossing the line, India’s Narendra Modi government is likely to bring in laws to regulate the country’s digital media. Under the new legislation, the same media could consequences for violations under the Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, India Today cited sources as saying.

The bill, if passed, will replace the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 — a legislation that regulates newspapers and printing presses in India.

Under the Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, digital platforms will have to apply for registration, the sources added. The bill, which is yet to be taken up by Modi Cabinet, proposes to include “news on digital media through any electronic device”.

Under the new law, digital publishers will need to register with the Press Registrar General, the sources added, which means the digital media will effectively come under government regulation.

Currently, the Registrar of Newspapers, a statutory body of India’s ministry of Information and broadcasting, regulates printing and publication of newspapers.

In 2019, the Modi government had put out a draft Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill which defined news on digital media as “news in digitised format that can be transmitted over the internet, computer or mobile networks and includes text, audio, video and graphics”.