Government's Increased Takedown Orders for Online Content
The Union government has been actively issuing takedown orders for digital content, with plans to allow the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to send notices to individual users over their social media posts. This marks a significant expansion from the previous scope under the IT Rules, 2021, which only targeted online news platforms.
Key Amendments in IT Rules
- Proposed changes in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 include:
- Empowering the I&B Ministry to target individual user content.
- Impacting social media platforms' "safe harbour" status if they fail to comply with advisories from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- Introducing an inter-departmental committee (IDC) to hear appeals against complaint outcomes, with a broadened mandate beyond the "Code of Ethics."
Responses and Implications
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) criticizes these changes as a "massive expansion of unconstitutional censorship and regulatory power." The amendments are seen as an attempt to bypass court orders by reconstructing oversight mechanisms ruled suspect by the Bombay and Madras High Courts.
Recent Takedown Initiatives
- In recent weeks, the government issued takedown notices for content perceived as anti-establishment or mocking the Prime Minister, including:
- Animations by The Wire featuring Prime Minister .
- AI-generated satirical videos by the opposition party.
- Posts on X critical of the government.
- Notable takedowns include:
- Blocking the Facebook page of Molitics, an independent news outlet.
- Removal of a contextual post by Mohammed Zubair of Alt News.
Government's Justification
IT Minister stated the government's focus is on targeting "AI-generated deepfakes" and "fake news," reflecting concerns over the spread of misinformation.
