Bangladesh: Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission closed consultation on Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Regulation for Digital, Social Media and OTT Platforms, 2021

On 18 February 2022, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) closed the public consultation on the draft Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Regulation for Digital, Social Media and OTT Platforms, 2021. The draft regulation aims to establish a legal framework for digital, social media, and Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms to address security concerns and protect users from harmful content such as child sexual abuse material, terrorism propaganda, and disinformation. The proposed rules establish requirements for platform intermediaries, including registration requirements, content moderation requirements, responding to unlawful content removal orders within 72 hours, appointing resident compliance officers, implementing complaint redressal mechanisms, deploying technology-based measures for identifying certain forms of illegal content, and maintaining a physical address in Bangladesh. Additionally, messaging services must enable the identification of the first originator of information when required by judicial orders for investigating serious offences.