The federal government has been more and more issuing broad takedown orders for content material on-line previously few weeks. | Photograph Credit score: Getty Photos/iStockphoto
The Union authorities is planning to permit the Ministry of Data and Broadcasting (I&B) to ship takedown notices to particular person customers for his or her social media posts. Underneath the IT Guidelines, 2021, the Ministry may challenge such notices solely to on-line information platforms.
As well as, any advisories to social media platforms by the Ministry of Electronics and Data Expertise (MeitY) would, if not complied with, have an effect on the corporations’ so-called “secure harbour”, permitting them to be held liable in court docket for customers’ content material.
These modifications have been put forth in a draft modification on Monday (March 30, 2026) to the Data Expertise (Middleman Pointers and Digital Media Ethics Code) Guidelines, 2021, which had been amended as just lately as February. The IT Ministry stated in an explanatory memorandum to Monday’s proposed modification that the addition of particular person consumer posts to the I&B Ministry was a “clarification of applicability” of these guidelines to “information and present affairs content material hosted by non-publisher customers”.
In an announcement, the Web Freedom Basis (IFF) described the proposal as a “large growth of unconstitutional censorship and regulatory energy”.
The Ministry stated these “amendments are clarificatory and procedural in nature and are supposed to enhance authorized certainty, strengthen enforceability of Ministry instructions, and guarantee efficient oversight of intermediary-hosted content material, significantly information and present affairs”.
The Web Freedom Basis pushed again on that declare, pointing to a key change within the proposal – an inter-departmental committee (IDC) to listen to appeals in opposition to criticism outcomes. IFF says it broadens the IDC mandate. “The unique Rule 14(2) required the IDC to listen to “complaints concerning violation or contravention of the Code of Ethics.” The amended model removes this requirement completely,” IFF stated in its assertion. “The IDC now hears: (a) grievances arising from choices at stage I or II; or (b) “issues” referred to by the Ministry,” it stated.
The federal government makes use of Part 79 of the IT Act, underneath which the IT Guidelines had been notified, to warn social media platforms that content material underneath a takedown discover, if retained, would result in the lack of their secure harbour. Since February’s modification abruptly modified takedown timelines to retain secure harbor to two-three hours from 24-36 hours, Meta has been taking down extra posts and accounts underneath such notices. Blocking orders which can be extra legally binding are issued underneath Part 69A.
The Basis accused the federal government of attempting to sidestep orders by the Madras and Bombay Excessive Courts, which have stayed sure components of the IT Guidelines. “The cumulative impact of the amendments to Guidelines 8 and 14 is to reconstruct the oversight equipment that the Bombay and Madras Excessive Courts discovered constitutionally suspect, in a type designed to evade the present interim orders,” IFF stated.
A number of notices
The federal government has been more and more issuing broad takedown orders for content material on-line previously few weeks in opposition to high-profile posts and accounts which can be anti-establishment, in addition to content material that mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Requested concerning the current spurt in takedowns, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed The Hindu at a press interplay on Monday the federal government was concentrating on “AI-generated deepfakes” and “faux information”.
The content material for which takedown notices had been issued over the previous few weeks embody animations that includes Mr. Modi by The Wirea number of posts on
Over the weekend, the takedown orders continued. Moliticsan impartial information and commentary outlet with over seven lakh subscribers on YouTube, had its total Fb web page blocked in India. Mohammed Zubair, a co-founder of the fact-checking web site Alt Informationhad a put up contextualising a communal incident in West Bengal eliminated, even because the put up he was responding to, by West Bengal’s BJP Chief of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, remained on-line.
Printed – March 30, 2026 10:10 pm IST