Any person having a grievance regarding content published by a publisher in relation to the Code of Ethics may furnish his grievance on the grievance mechanism established by the publisher or can lodge a grievance on federation’s website .
Three-level grievance redressal
At a time when digital media governance is in a state of flux across the globe, the Digital Media Ethics Code is thus a transformative step that would raise India’s stature at an international level and serve as a model for other nations to emulate.
The mechanism has been established under the IT rules 2021 with two levels of self-regulation- Level I being the publisher and Level II being the Self-Regulatory Body, and the third level being the Oversight Mechanism under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The rules provide for an effective grievance redressal mechanism for receiving, processing, and time-bound disposal of public grievances related to the Code of Ethics. The self-regulatory body would be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court, or by a person of eminence from the relevant field, and can issue advisories to the publisher.
The mechanism is based on the principles of minimum Government intervention; however, platforms should develop a robust grievance redressal mechanism on their own. Benefits of the Rules The institutional mechanism established by the Digital Media Ethics Code would provide a stable policy environment to encourage growth in the OTT industry, bring in investments and generate jobs thereby providing a boost to the Champion Audio-Visual Services Sector.
Self-certification of content by OTT platforms would ensure artistic freedom for content creators and prevent delays. The Code would also empower the citizens to make informed choices about content, get their grievances redressed in definite time frames, and protect children. The Code of Ethics for news publishers would help to fight fake news on digital media through a mechanism of accountability of publishers while providing a level playing field between online and offline (Print and TV) news publishers. The rules also open up new avenues for further engagement and coordination with digital news publishers which would be recognized for the first time under law through the process of furnishing information.
