The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology plans to question major digital and social media platforms, including X and Meta, to examine whether their paid subscription models compromise net neutrality and consumer rights.
Panel chairman Nishikant Dubey said that platforms like X, which offer extra features to paying subscribers, must be evaluated against India's constitutional principles of equality.
Dubey highlighted that a standard, free account on X is restricted to 280 characters per post, while a paid subscription removes this limit and grants subscribers additional features.
The parliamentary panel's investigation extends beyond social media character limits to digital and telecom services, including whether telecom operators favour postpaid subscribers over prepaid users.
The committee is scheduled to hold two to three more sittings in the coming weeks before finalising its official report on consumer protection and net neutrality.
