NEW DELHI: In an attempt to exercise greater control over content posted by independent news creators, the Centre proposes to extend IT rules to take into its ambit YouTubers, Instagram Reels creators, X (formerly Twitter) users, and other influencers with significant followings who are not ‘publishers’ but post or share news and current affairs content online.
The draft rules significantly expand government oversight of online content. “The Government of India remains committed to ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet for all users of internet-enabled services. The proposed amendments seek to strengthen compliance with clarifications, advisories and directions issued by the Ministry under Part II and to enhance the effectiveness of regulatory oversight of content regulation mechanisms under Part III (Code of Ethics relating to Digital Media) of the IT Rules, 2021,” the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology (MeitY) notification states.
It means that social media platforms will now have to comply with guidelines or advisories issued by the IT ministry or risk legal action. These are amendments proposed in the IT Rules, 2021 by the ministry, with a draft being released for public consultation on Monday. The ministry has invited feedback and comments from stakeholders on the proposed amendments by April 14, 2026.
The first change also significantly expands the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s (MIB) blocking powers, including through the Inter Disciplinary Committee or IDC that hears cases. An ancillary change proposed is in how IDC functions, allowing it to take up “matters” as opposed to “complaints”, thereby enabling it to weigh in on a broad and unspecified range of issues, not just formal grievances.
“News items on social media are largely unregulated, which was the feedback we received from MIB. That is why these amendments have been proposed,” government sources said.
Significantly, the amendments propose to clarify the applicability of Part III of the IT Rules to users hosting news and current affairs content who are not registered publishers. This move effectively brings user-generated dissemination of news content within the regulatory framework governing digital media ethics.
As per the draft, the provisions will apply to “news and current affairs content hosted, displayed, uploaded, modified, published, transmitted, stored, updated or shared on the computer resources of the intermediaries by users who are not publishers.”
Another key proposed change under Part II is the insertion of a new Rule 3(4), which would explicitly mandate intermediaries to comply with Ministry-issued clarifications, advisories, directions, SOPs and guidelines as part of their due diligence obligations under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. The draft also clarifies that data retention obligations under Rules 3(1)(g) and 3(1)(h) would operate without prejudice to requirements under other applicable laws.
The draft further proposes to strengthen Rule 14 by expanding the scope of the Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) constituted under the Rules. The committee would be empowered to consider not only complaints received against content but also matters referred to it directly by the ministry, thereby widening the executive’s supervisory role over digital content regulation.
Under the current rules, the committee primarily deals with complaints escalated through the regulatory structure. The proposed change allows the government to initiate scrutiny of content without a formal grievance.
The ministry has described the amendments as “clarificatory and procedural in nature”, stating that they are intended to improve legal certainty, strengthen the enforceability of ministry directions and ensure effective oversight of intermediary-hosted content, particularly news and current affairs.
Part III of the IT Rules contains the Code of Ethics for digital media. It requires publishers of news and current affairs content to follow norms of journalistic conduct and the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act. It also mandates that content must not violate sovereignty, public order or decency.
By extending Part III to intermediaries and non-publisher users, the amendments widen this framework. Platforms hosting news content could fall within these standards. Even users posting news and current affairs content may be covered. Such content could be subject to scrutiny and directions under the three-tier mechanism, including government oversight.
The draft amendments also revise Part II, which deals with intermediary due diligence.
They introduce a provision requiring intermediaries to comply with all clarifications, advisories, directions, standard operating procedures and guidelines issued by the Ministry. This compliance will form part of due diligence under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
At present, intermediaries must publish user policies, remove unlawful content upon notice and assist government agencies. The amendments link compliance with ministry directions to due diligence.
The draft also clarifies that data retention obligations will operate without prejudice to other applicable laws.
However, the changes indicate closer regulatory supervision of intermediary-hosted content, particularly in relation to news and current affairs.
The draft amendments come amid a spate of takedowns on platforms such as X, Facebook and Instagram under Section 69A of the IT Act.
“Because of whatever changes that have happened in the AI world, a huge quantity of deep fakes have started coming on social media. The platforms themselves have significantly ramped up their efforts, almost doubled or tripled the takedowns, at removing the deep fakes,” sources said.
This is the second amendment to the IT Rules this year. In February, MeitY introduced changes tightening takedown timelines from 36/24 hours to 3/2 hours and expanding due diligence requirements for intermediaries, particularly around synthetically generated information or AI-generated content.
(With inputs from Live Law and Bar&Bench)