Govts Treated BigTech Solely As Innovators, Lagged In Rulemaking For Them: MoS Chandrasekhar

Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday said governments around the world have treated big tech companies solely as innovators and have lagged behind in terms of rulemaking for them.

He said that governments for far too long have trailed the big tech platforms in relation to creating a framework defining the do’s and don’ts required to prevent them from causing harm and creating other disruptions to society and people.

“Internet, which has been a force for good has also begun to represent risk, user harm and criminality,” the Minister said at an event hosted by FICCI.

Chandrasekhar said that Indian government is now beginning to systematically build the legal policy framework to protect the citizens online. He informed that an ecosystem has been built around in the country which includes consultation and multiple stakeholders. This is apparently helping the government bridge policies and build laws through consultation.

He stressed that safety and trust are major concerns for the government as 1.2 billion Indians are expected to utilise the internet.

"They are going to be the elderly, students, children, women, rural and urban. Therefore, safety and trust online become very important policy duties on the part of the government to deliver to our citizens and of course accountability," Chandrasekhar said.