The Indian government recently announced new guidelines for the regulation of social media platforms and OTT streaming services in the country. The guidelines require social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to appoint a grievance officer based in India to address user complaints. They also mandate the removal of content within 36 hours of receiving a legal order. Furthermore, the rules state that platforms must disclose the origin of “mischievous” messages and assist in investigations. For OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, the guidelines include a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism and the classification of content into age-based categories. The government stated that the guidelines aim to create a “soft-touch oversight mechanism” to ensure compliance with the law while safeguarding the rights of users. However, these regulations have sparked debates on freedom of speech and expression in the country. Critics argue that the rules could potentially be misused to stifle dissent and curb freedom of expression. On the other hand, proponents believe that the guidelines are necessary to hold tech giants accountable and protect users from harmful content. The implementation of these guidelines marks a significant development in the regulation of social media and OTT platforms in India, reflecting the government’s efforts to assert greater control over digital spaces.