No, Facebook is not banned in India

The officer will have to monitor the content posted on the platforms, and implement regulation mechanisms. (Representative Image)

Social media was abuzz with talks about Facebook, Google and other social media platforms getting banned in the country due to non-compliance with IT Rules 2021, which went into effect yesterday, September 14.

According to the new rules, social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and others will have to comply with Indian norms or face legal proceedings.

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The Indian government wants social media platforms with more than 50 lakh registered users to appoint a local grievance officer. The officer will have to monitor the content posted on the platforms and implement regulation mechanisms.

The rules, however, state that these platforms will not be banned in cases of non-compliance, rather they will be subject to legal proceedings under applicable laws.

The new rules also give social media platforms freedom from liability for the content posted on their services. Facebook and Google have already released statements saying they intend to comply with India's IT Rules.

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Whatsapp, on the other hand, has filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court alleging that it cannot provide access to encrypted messages, as it will compromise the security of its platform.

In particular, the company is against one of the rules that state that it has to provide identification and message origin of messages flagged by the government.