The central government has amended the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, to stipulate that notices sent to social media and Internet intermediaries can now be issued only by senior government officers of at least the rank of joint secretary or by police officers not below the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG).
Under the amendment, the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) has said any intimation sent to social media and Internet intermediaries under Rule 3(1)(d) will now clearly specify the ‘legal basis and statutory provisions’ for the content being flagged.
Gold Rate
23 Oct 2025
The amendment will come into effect on November 15. Notices sent to social media and Internet intermediaries after that date must also include a detailed explanation and rationale, specifying the reasons behind the ‘nature of the unlawful act’ committed by the user whose content is being flagged.
Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules requires intermediaries to remove any unlawful content or information whenever it is flagged to them, either through a court order or a notification by appropriate government authorities.
“The accountability of the government increases with this change. We will provide reasoned intimations whenever such orders are passed. The orders will be issued at a fairly senior level,” Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.
According to the amended IT Rules, all intimations issued to social media and Internet intermediaries under Rule 3(1)(d) will be subject to a monthly review chaired by either the secretary of the home ministry or Meity, a senior government official said.
“These review meetings will also ensure that any intimations issued by officials below the rank of joint secretary, or below DIG in the case of police authorities, can be immediately corrected,” the official added.
“The Centre received feedback from several state governments that intimations were being sent even by lower-level police and state government functionaries. This change will streamline the process and ensure that higher-level officials apply proper scrutiny before intimations are sent to intermediaries,” the official said.
