Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Telecom Minister has assured that over-the-top (OTT) applications will not be encompassed within the newly confirmed Telecom Bill 2023. This clarifies that the recent passage of the bill by Parliament has replaced three antiquated laws which further include the Indian Telegraph Act which is 138 years old.
While the new bill reduces the authority of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), it has granted the government unprecedented powers, by including the ability to assume controlling the telecom services which is in interest with the national security.
Why OTT apps were exempted?
Responding to the concern about the government’s scrutiny, Ashwini Vaishnaw has emphasized that OTT applications like Signal and WhatsApp are not covered by the latest Telecom Bill. These apps will further continue to fall under the purview of the Information Technology Act, of 2000, which has been regulated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Meta which has reportedly expressed its concern
The passage of the bill triggered uneasiness with Meta which has reportedly expressed its concern in an internal email. Although the revised bill does not explicitly mention the OTT platforms, it further introduces terms like 'messages,' 'telecommunication services,' and 'telecommunications identifier,' which are potentially applicable to the existing OTT platforms.
The Telecom Bill was pending for a while, as the President's assent it before it officially became law. The respected bill was approved via voice vote which took place at the Rajya Sabha. This happened a day after the Lok Sabha's approval and the bill further aimed at replacing the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950.
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