New Delhi New Delhi: To enhance the grievance redressal framework for a safe internet, the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) of the government has resolved 2,081 user appeals and provided relief to 980 appeals through 1,214 orders issued. , this was announced on Wednesday. The GAC was set up under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which is part of the government's commitment to building a safe, reliable and accountable internet. In operation since January 2023, the GAC provides an online dispute resolution mechanism for users aggrieved by the decisions of arbitrators and grievance officers.

In its second year it is receiving an average of over 300 appeals per month, which marks a significant increase compared to the first year. There are around 10,000 users registered on the platform. Towards achieving this goal, a workshop was organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to address the concerns of stakeholders regarding secure internet. It was attended by GAC members, social media intermediaries and senior government officials. The Center urged social media intermediaries to take swift action against fake content to build public confidence in complaint authorities. It was also stressed that the GAC should work efficiently to resolve issues promptly, ensuring that users can navigate the Internet safely and with confidence.

According to MEET Secretary S Krishnan, the GAC should ensure a prompt grievance redressal process to promptly address issues, as trust in the mechanism is established only when complaints are resolved efficiently. He also said that regular interaction between the appellate authority and the regulatory framework is important to identify potential issues and find effective solutions, which will ultimately benefit the stakeholders. Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MEETI, said the number of complaints received by the GAC at the appellate level was initially limited, but has now seen a significant increase, primarily driven by growing public awareness. He said, “Since people As they become more aware of grievance redressal mechanisms, including the availability of arbitrators' grievance officers and the role of the GAC, they are increasingly reaching out to these platforms to resolve their concerns.”