India, July 13 -- Uniform Norms For Social Media

The IT ministry is crafting uniform standards for all messaging apps. But the timing is conspicuous. The move comes right as the username features of WhatsApp and Telegram are under scrutiny. So, what does this upcoming policy really mean?

The Regulatory Turn: MeitY is formulating the rules to ensure it doesn't have to individually send notices to platforms to block a feature. The uniform standards will look to establish legal backing for blocking specific features across every messaging platform operating in India. In effect, the rules could curb feature rollouts and further tighten oversight.

Nevertheless, the ministry plans to discuss the rules with all platforms before taking a final...