Overview
- An advisory dated December 29 directs intermediaries to prohibit hosting or sharing content that is obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, vulgar, indecent, sexually explicit or otherwise unlawful, and to immediately review compliance and moderation systems.
- MeitY cautions that non-compliance can strip platforms of Section 79 safe-harbour protection and trigger prosecution under the IT Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other criminal laws such as POCSO and the Indecent Representation of Women Act.
- Platforms must act expeditiously on court orders or reasoned government notices to remove unlawful content within IT Rules timelines, including a 24‑hour takedown for non‑consensual intimate or impersonated sexual material upon a complaint by the affected person.
- Large social media intermediaries are instructed to deploy technology-based, automated tools for proactive detection and to maintain accessible user reporting and grievance redressal mechanisms.
- MeitY cites repeated complaints, parliamentary discussions and court proceedings as triggers for the move, which builds on 2025 actions such as OTT blocking orders and an NCII SOP rather than creating new law.