People, who have been posting reels, images, text on news and current affairs on YouTube, Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads etc, are likely to see the ground shifting beneath their feet.
The Central government has proposed a set of amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to expand the compliance obligations of intermediaries (social media companies) in relation to directions issued by authorities, while enlarging the ambit of regulatory oversight over online content.
The proposed changes extend, in particular, to news and current affairs material put out by users not formally recognised as publishers.
The Ministry has initiated a consultative process and invited comments from stakeholders, prescribing April 14, 2026, as the last date for submission of responses.
A notable feature of the proposed amendments is the clarification regarding the applicability of Part III of the Rules. The revised framework seeks to expressly include within its scope those users who host or circulate news and current affairs content without being registered publishers. In effect, this measure brings user-driven dissemination of such content within the regulatory regime governing digital media ethics. The draft indicates that the provisions would extend to content relating to news and current affairs that is hosted, displayed, uploaded, modified, published, transmitted, stored, updated, or shared on intermediary platforms by non-publisher users.
Another significant proposal pertains to Part II of the Rules, where the introduction of a new Rule 3(4) is contemplated. This provision is intended to explicitly require intermediaries to adhere to clarifications, advisories, directions, standard operating procedures, and guidelines issued by the Ministry, treating such compliance as an integral component of their due diligence obligations under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. The draft further underscores that existing data retention requirements would continue to operate without prejudice to obligations arising under other applicable legal frameworks.
In addition, the amendments envisage a strengthening of Rule 14 by enlarging the remit of the Inter-Departmental Committee constituted under the Rules. The Committee is proposed to be vested with the authority not only to examine complaints pertaining to online content but also to consider matters directly referred to it by the Ministry, thereby enhancing the executive’s supervisory reach over digital content governance.
The Ministry has characterised these proposed changes as clarificatory and procedural in nature, indicating that they are designed to enhance legal certainty, reinforce the enforceability of official directions, and ensure more effective oversight of content hosted by intermediaries, particularly in the domain of news and current affairs.
Stakeholders have been invited to submit rule-wise comments on the draft amendments via email to the designated address provided by the Ministry.
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