The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025 dated October 22, 2025. The new rules, effective from November 15, 2025, amend the existing IT Rules, 2021, tightening obligations on intermediaries and digital platforms regarding unlawful online content.
Under the amendment, intermediaries are now mandated to remove or disable access to information within 36 hours of receiving actual knowledge of unlawful content either through a court order or a reasoned written intimation from an authorised government officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary. For cases involving police authorities, the officer must be at least of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank.
Additionally, such takedown intimations must clearly specify the legal basis, statutory provision invoked, and the precise electronic location (URL or identifier) of the content. All takedown orders will undergo monthly reviews by a Secretary-level officer to ensure they are necessary, proportionate, and legally consistent.
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