New Delhi: The Centre has issued a stern warning to social media platforms and online intermediaries, cautioning that failure to curb obscene, pornographic, paedophilic and other unlawful content could invite criminal prosecution and loss of legal protection.
In an advisory dated December 29, 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) asked platforms to immediately review and strengthen their compliance and due-diligence mechanisms under the Information Technology Act.
The ministry reminded intermediaries that protection from liability for third-party content under Section 79 of the IT Act is conditional on strict observance of due diligence. This obligation, it said, applies to all forms of user-generated content hosted or transmitted on their platforms.
India warns social media over illegal content
IT ministry issues advisory for online platforms@eriknjoka gets you more on this pic.twitter.com/mVS78R5xVa
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MeitY flagged inconsistencies and weak enforcement by several platforms in identifying and acting against obscene, vulgar, indecent and otherwise illegal material. It warned that non-compliance with the IT Act and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 could lead to serious legal consequences.
The advisory cautioned that violations may attract action not only under the IT Act but also under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other applicable criminal laws, against intermediaries, platforms and even users.
Platforms have been directed to make reasonable efforts to prevent users from uploading or sharing prohibited content, especially material harmful to children. They must also remove or disable access to unlawful content swiftly upon receiving court orders or official government notices, strictly within the timelines laid down in the IT Rules.
According to the ministry, the advisory was issued after repeated observations that several social media companies were not enforcing safeguards rigorously, underscoring the need for tighter, uniform compliance across the digital ecosystem.
