IT Committee to take up discussions on impact of AI, social media regulation, fake news, OTT

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT and Communications is headed by BJP's Nishikant Dubey

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology will deliberate on topics ranging from artificial intelligence and related issues to regulation of social media platforms, fake news and more for 2024-25.

This comes at a time when there has been a growing scanner on the impact of AI and social media platforms on society, and the government deliberates on bringing in regulations for AI and other such technologies.

A Lok Sabha bulletin from October 8 said that the committee will deliberate on topics such as impact of emergence of AI and related issues, social and digital platforms and their regulation, review of mechanism to curb fake news, impact of Information Technology Agreement in new age, emergence of new forms of currencies and its impact, digital and cyber crimes - regulation and monitoring.

These topics will come under the ambit of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The IT committee also takes up topics that fall under the Ministry of Communications, specifically the Department of Posts and the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

Under the MIB, the panel will take up discussions on review of implementation of laws related to all forms of media, review of mechanism to curb fake news, emergence of OTT platforms and related issues, and other subjects.

It is important to note that the Centre has attempted to take up issues surrounding OTT (over the top) platforms by proposing laws to regulate the sector. However, such proposals have often been met with stiff opposition from industry, civil society, and also political parties.

Under the Ministry of Communication, the committee will take up subjects such as issues confronting the telecom sector in India, quality of service standards and consumer protection in telecom sector, self reliance in telecom manufacturing sector, and so on.

The committee is chaired by BJP's Nishikant Dubey, who is among the 31 members constituting the panel. Actor-cum-politician Kangana Ranaut was recently appointed to the committee, making her first official role in parliamentary committee matters.

Other notable members include TMC's Mahua Moitra, Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedy, Rajya Sabha MP Illaiyaraaja and so on. Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan opted out of the committee, and in her place Trinamul Congress' Saket Gokhale has been brought in.

The last major subject matter that the IT Committee deliberated and debated upon was the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.

Also read: IT Committee may give clean chit to Data Protection Bill in Parliament, members divided

In February 2024, the committee criticised the government for the delay in the introduction of the rules of the DPDP Act. It stated that the delay had prevented the notification of the Data Protection Board and other essential components of the law. The committee also enquired the government regarding the Digital Indian Bill. The bill is aimed at superseding the existing over-two decade-old Information Technology Act.