IT rules may cover social media news | India News

In a draft amendment issued on March 30, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) invited comments from stakeholders till April 14, signaling a move to strengthen compliance requirements for intermediaries and expand oversight of online content.An original proposal sought to clarify that the third part of the rule — applicable to digital news publishers — would also apply to “news and current affairs content” shared on social media by users who are not registered publishers.While the draft itself focuses on clarifying applicability and strengthening oversight mechanisms, officials indicated that the framework could take action on such matters through the existing grievance redressal mechanism overseen by an interdepartmental committee, though the draft does not spell out specific steps.It also proposes changes under Part II with the insertion of a new Rule 3(4), which requires intermediaries to follow government-issued advice, instructions and guidelines as part of their statutory responsibilities under Section 79 of the IT Act. It also states that platforms must retain user data as per the rules.The draft also expands the role of the Interdepartmental Committee under Rule 14, allowing it to examine not only user complaints but also cases referred directly by the government.The ministry, in its notification, said the amendments were intended to ensure “an open, secure, trusted and accountable internet” and to “strengthen compliance with the clarifications, suggestions and directives issued by the ministry”, while improving how digital content is regulated.The government described the proposed changes as “clarifying and procedural”, aimed at further increasing legal certainty and strengthening the enforceability of its directives.