Only Joint Secretary or DGP Can Order Removal of Unlawful Social Media Content from 1st November

Social media is no longer just a space for sharing photos — it has become the voice of the people. Every day, millions of users are speaking up, questioning authority, and driving conversations that influence opinions, policies, and even government actions. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram have become virtual town squares where citizens raise issues and demand accountability.

However, with this growing influence comes the need for regulation. While social media empowers individuals, it also has the potential to spread misinformation, hate speech, and unlawful content. Recognizing this, the government has decided to tighten oversight of digital platforms.

From November 1, only senior officials at the level of Joint Secretary or Director General of Police (DGP) can order social media platforms to remove unlawful content. Each takedown order will also be reviewed every month by a secretary-level officer to make sure the action is lawful, necessary, and proportionate.

This means junior or lower-level officers can no longer issue takedown orders or demand removal of posts, videos, or comments on their own authority. The step is designed to prevent misuse of power, ensure due process, and make content moderation decisions more transparent and accountable.

These changes are part of the amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, notified on Wednesday. The amended rules say that all takedown requests must include a clear legal basis, relevant statutory provisions, and details like URLs or content identifiers.

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025 aim to make content removal more transparent, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said.

The IT rules, first notified in February 2021 and amended in 2022 and 2023, set obligations for intermediaries to ensure online safety and accountability. According to Rule 3(1)(d), intermediaries must remove unlawful content when they receive a court order or government notification.

The ministry has also proposed new rules to regulate deepfakes and AI-generated content. The draft rules define synthetically generated information as content created or altered to appear authentic. Such content can be treated as unlawful and removed. To tackle deepfakes, the IT ministry suggests adding embedded markers and labels to help social media users identify AI-generated content.