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New Delhi has tightened rules governing internet takedowns in India, restricting the number of officials authorized to demand content removal. The move follows a lengthy legal dispute with Elon Musk’s X platform over the country’s controversial online censorship policy.
Previously, thousands of government officers were empowered to issue takedown orders under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2023 directive to police online content. The policy drew strong criticism from X, which argued that the sweeping powers violated free speech principles.
Reuters reported in August that even police inspectors were directing takedowns of cartoons and satirical posts, prompting X to mount one of its most high-profile legal challenges against a government’s content moderation policy. However, the Karnataka High Court dismissed X’s case in September, ruling that the company must comply with local laws.
In a significant reversal, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has now revised the rules, limiting the authority to senior officials. Only bureaucrats ranked joint secretary or higher and police officers at or above the deputy inspector general level can now issue content removal directives.
Legal expert Akash Karmakar of Panag & Babu said the government has reduced its earlier reach but noted that “the number of officials who can issue orders will still be in the hundreds.”
According to an official statement, the updated rules introduce “additional safeguards to ensure senior-level accountability, precise specification of unlawful content, and periodic review of government directions at a higher level.”
X did not respond to requests for comment but previously confirmed plans to challenge the court’s ruling. The revised regulations mark a major development in the ongoing debate over internet takedowns in India and digital freedom.
