New Delhi: The central government has proposed new amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules,
2021, that will cover more online content. The aim of the exercise is to bring user-generated news and current affairs posts on social media platforms under a greater compliance framework.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has called for feedback on the draft from stakeholders with a deadline of April 14, 2026, for submissions. The intended changes which will enhance legal clarity and strengthen enforcement are “clarificatory and procedural”, said officials.
Wider scope for user-generated news content
One of the main suggestions is to broaden the reach of Part III of the IT Rules to ensure that news and current affairs content shared by users who are not registered publishers be covered. This means that even individuals posting or sharing news-related content on social media could fall within the regulatory framework governing digital media ethics.
The draft specifies that the rules would apply to any such content “hosted, displayed, uploaded, modified, published, transmitted, stored, updated or shared” on intermediary platforms. This significantly broadens the scope of oversight beyond formal news publishers.
New compliance obligations for intermediaries
Part II of the bill proposes a new Rule 3(4) to be inserted into the Act. Intermediaries should observe and comply with all advisories, directions, SOPs and guidelines issued by the Ministry as a part of their due diligence obligations under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
The proposed draft also clarifies that the existing requirements pertaining to data retention in Rule 3(1)(g) and Rule 3(1)(h) will continue. Further, the other applicable laws such as the IT Act and others will also apply. Moreover, there is no overlap or dilution of the existing powers that the enforcement authorities enjoy.
Expanded powers of oversight committee
The government is making some changes to the rules that control what people can post online. One of the changes is to Rule 14, which’s about the Inter-Departmental Committee. This committee will now have power to look at complaints and also at cases that the Ministry sends to them.
This means the government will have a say in what people can post online, especially when it comes to news and what is happening in the world.
The Ministry wants people to tell them what they think about these rules. They can send their thoughts by email. The government is doing this so they can make sure the rules are fair and that people are following them.
If these changes happen, it will be a deal for people in India who post news online. The rules will be different. It will change how the government controls what people can post.
