Centre may allow multiple ministries to order social media takedowns under IT Act: Report

At present, only MeitY can issue such final directions to intermediaries like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube after reviewing requests routed through it.

• More ministries may get power to block social media content
• Proposal aims to decentralise powers under Section 69A of IT Act
• Compliance window for content takedown reduced to 2-3 hours

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The Centre is reportedly weighing a major overhaul of India’s content-blocking framework that could allow multiple ministries to directly order social media platforms to take down content, expanding powers currently held only by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Under the proposal, ministries including Home Affairs, External Affairs, Defence, and Information and Broadcasting are likely to be authorised to issue blocking orders under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, according to The Indian Express.

At present, only MeitY can issue such final directions to intermediaries like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube after reviewing requests routed through it.

As per officials cited in the report, inter-ministerial consultations are underway to amend the existing framework, with the move driven in part by a surge in AI-generated misleading content online and the need for faster enforcement. Moreover, the scope of the proposal could also expand to include regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which has raised concerns over the spread of misleading financial information by online influencers.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

India currently operates two parallel systems for content takedowns.

Section 69A deals with blocking content on grounds such as national security, sovereignty, and public order, with MeitY acting as the final authority. Separately, under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, several government agencies can directly flag and seek removal of content through mechanisms such as the Home Ministry-led Sahyog portal.

The proposed changes aim to "bring parity" between the two systems by decentralising powers under Section 69A, allowing ministries and potentially other agencies to act independently without waiting for MeitY’s approval, it has been learnt from the report.

The move comes as the Centre tightens timelines for content moderation. Recent changes have reduced the window for compliance from 24-36 hours to as little as 2-3 hours, increasing pressure on platforms to act swiftly.

However, the stricter enforcement environment has raised concerns among users, some of whom say even satirical or critical content is being taken down as companies step up compliance to avoid regulatory action.