Facebook and Twitter Ban in India? Why that might be

Facebook and Twitter are social media platforms that are extremely popular among the masses. Facebook is the parent company to multiple other social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. Twitter on the other hand has come out to be the destination for all the Covid-19 related resources in the second wave. There has been a lot of controversy around WhatsApp in recent times but Instagram has managed to gain all the popularity. It has also been the source of income for a lot of people.

Are these platforms going off the radar for India? Why is it happening and what does it mean for the people who are extremely active on these platforms?

On 25 February 2021, the Government of India released new intermediary IT guidelines which mandate all social media companies to have compliance officers from India. These guidelines are to make sure that the data is secure and there is an additional stage of security to the data.

The last date given to the company to accept all these guidelines was 25 May 2021. Facebook and Twitter have not accepted these guidelines yet and therefore, there is a high possibility of these apps getting banned. When mentioning Facebook, all the apps that the company owns will come under this ban and users won't be able to use apps like Instagram or WhatsApp.

What Does This Mean?

In recent times, Facebook, Instagram and even WhatsApp have become more than just a social media platform. There is a whole digital marketplace that operates only on these platforms. This can be bad news for all the businesses running on this platform, and they might have to shut shop. Instagram and Facebook marketplaces have become extremely popular and trustworthy among the masses and shutting down of the platform can incur huge losses. As of now, there are no good alternatives for online business owners.

It is bad news for the content creators as well, especially ones who have gained fame for their short-form content. Instagram Reels played a major role in boosting the popularity of these creators but with the app being on the verge of going, the fame might also go away.

The Government of India is yet to react to these social media companies. However, the possibility of them being at least temporarily shut looks very real.