{"id":7790,"date":"2025-08-29T16:03:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T16:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T02:51:58","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T02:51:58","slug":"social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Intermediaries\u2019 Rules: Three Sides, Three Perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>On 25th February 2021, the Government of India issued a notification introducing new social media intermediary rules called the<a href=\"\/legal\/article-17225-information-technology-intermediary-guidelines-and-digital-media-ethics-code-rules-2021-on-freedom-of-speech-and-expression-in-india-s-digital-media.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <strong>Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021<\/strong><\/a> under the Information Technology Act, 2000.<sup>[1]<\/sup> These rules sparked widespread debate on the right to privacy of Indian citizens and generated significant public criticism. While controversial, these rules exist and, like every coin, have both advantages and disadvantages.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Social_Media_Intermediary_%E2%80%93_Defined\" >Social Media Intermediary \u2013 Defined<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Guidelines_as_Specified_by_the_Rules_%E2%80%93_A_Summary\" >Guidelines as Specified by the Rules \u2013 A Summary<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Due_Diligence_on_Part_of_the_Social_Media_Intermediary\" >Due Diligence on Part of the Social Media Intermediary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Grievance_Redressal_Mechanism\" >Grievance Redressal Mechanism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Consequences_of_Non-Compliance\" >Consequences of Non-Compliance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Analysis_of_the_Rules\" >Analysis of the Rules<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#The_Governments_Perspective\" >The Government\u2019s Perspective<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#The_Social_Media_Intermediarys_Perspective\" >The Social Media Intermediary\u2019s Perspective<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#The_Citizens_Perspective\" >The Citizens\u2019 Perspective<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Solutions_%E2%80%93_A_Middle_Ground\" >Solutions \u2013 A Middle Ground<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/social-media-intermediaries-rules-three-sides-three-perspectives\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Social_Media_Intermediary_%E2%80%93_Defined\"><\/span>Social Media Intermediary \u2013 Defined<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The rules define a social media intermediary as a mediator between two or more clients that allows them to connect and use the platform to share, upload, create, modify, or access information over the internet. A <strong>significant social media intermediary<\/strong> is one with more than 50 million registered users in India.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Guidelines_as_Specified_by_the_Rules_%E2%80%93_A_Summary\"><\/span>Guidelines as Specified by the Rules \u2013 A Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Due_Diligence_on_Part_of_the_Social_Media_Intermediary\"><\/span>Due Diligence on Part of the Social Media Intermediary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermediaries must publish their rules, privacy policy, and user agreement on websites and mobile applications. Users should be notified to avoid sharing controversial content such as obscene, pedophilic, defamatory, or third-party information.<\/li>\n<li>Intermediaries must periodically inform users of updates to rules, policies, and the consequences of non-compliance, including possible termination of accounts.<\/li>\n<li>Intermediaries are prohibited from hosting, storing, or publishing unlawful content. User information must be retained for 180 days even if a user cancels their registration.<\/li>\n<li>Intermediaries must furnish information to the government within 72 hours of inquiry and report cybersecurity incidents to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) as per the IT Rules, 2013. Platforms must not alter their normal operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grievance_Redressal_Mechanism\"><\/span>Grievance Redressal Mechanism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermediaries must appoint a <strong>Chief Compliance Officer<\/strong> responsible for rule compliance and coordination with law enforcement.<\/li>\n<li>Intermediaries must appoint a <strong>Resident Grievance Officer<\/strong> to address complaints within 15 days and provide their contact details on websites and apps.<\/li>\n<li>Access to content showing nudity or sexual acts must be disabled within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.<\/li>\n<li>Messaging platforms must enable identification of the first originator of a message and verify users, displaying verification marks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Consequences_of_Non-Compliance\"><\/span>Consequences of Non-Compliance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Social media intermediaries traditionally operate under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalservicesindia.com\/law\/article\/2144\/6\/Liability-of-Internet-Intermediaries-under-Indian-Legal-System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000<\/a>, which provides immunity for third-party content.<sup>[4]<\/sup> The new rules make this immunity conditional. Failure to comply could result in intermediaries being held personally liable for content shared on their platforms.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Analysis_of_the_Rules\"><\/span>Analysis of the Rules<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Governments_Perspective\"><\/span>The Government\u2019s Perspective<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The government aims to track false information, hate speech, rumors, and content capable of inciting violence or public unrest. It seeks to prevent riots, terrorist threats, and safeguard vulnerable groups like children and tribal communities by regulating online content.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Social_Media_Intermediarys_Perspective\"><\/span>The Social Media Intermediary\u2019s Perspective<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Social media platforms have raised concerns about privacy violations. WhatsApp, for instance, relies on end-to-end encryption, and breaking this feature for compliance could undermine its core functionality. Intermediaries also face high compliance costs and risk losing legal immunity under Section 79. They lack recourse if they disagree with government directives.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Citizens_Perspective\"><\/span>The Citizens\u2019 Perspective<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Citizens are concerned about fundamental rights violations, including privacy and freedom of speech. The rules appear arbitrary and may enable citizen profiling, potentially influencing political preferences through targeted content. Additionally, these rules were implemented without parliamentary approval, raising further concerns.<sup>[5]<\/sup><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Solutions_%E2%80%93_A_Middle_Ground\"><\/span>Solutions \u2013 A Middle Ground<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite controversy, the rules can be beneficial if implemented responsibly within constitutional boundaries. Suggestions include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Establish a tribunal with jurisdiction to oversee implementation and ensure the executive does not overreach.<\/li>\n<li>Allow users control over shared content, enabling self-regulation within 24 hours with warnings for repeated violations.<\/li>\n<li>Introduce a comprehensive data protection law in India, such as passing the Data Protection Bill, 2019, with stakeholder consultation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Social Media Intermediaries Rules aim to manage security threats and protect vulnerable groups. However, the government must consider perspectives of intermediaries and citizens to ensure privacy, freedom of expression, and ease of business are maintained. A balanced approach is necessary for proper implementation.<\/p>\n<p><b>End-Notes: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ashima Obhan &amp; Shivam Patanjali, India Tightens the Noose on Intermediaries and Social Media Platforms Part-2, Obhan &amp; Associates, (Feb 19, 2022 1:54 AM), https:\/\/www.obhanandassociates.com\/blog\/india-tightens-the-noose-on-intermediaries-and-social-media-platforms-part-2\/<\/li>\n<li>Bhumika Indulia, Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, SCC Online Blog, (Feb 20, 2022 1:36 AM), https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2021\/05\/26\/information-technology-intermediary-guidelines-and-digital-media-ethics-code-rules-2021-2\/<\/li>\n<li>Bhumika Indulia, Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, SCC Online Blog, (Feb 20, 2022 1:36 AM), https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2021\/05\/26\/information-technology-intermediary-guidelines-and-digital-media-ethics-code-rules-2021-2\/<\/li>\n<li>Information Technology Act, 2000 \u00a7 79, No. 21, Acts of Parliament, 2000 (India)<\/li>\n<li>The Big Picture: Social Media- New Rules &amp; Implications, DRISHTI IAS, (Feb 21, 2022 1:22 PM), https:\/\/www.drishtiias.com\/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions\/the-big-picture-social-media-new-rules-implications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>References: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Aashish Aryan, Explained: Social Media and Safe Harbor, THE INDIAN EXPRESS, (Feb 23, 2022, 5:11 PM), https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/intermediary-guidelines-digital-media-ethics-code-facebook-twitter-instagram-7331820\/<\/li>\n<li>Ashima Obhan &amp; Shivam Patanjali, India Tightens the Noose on Intermediaries and Social Media Platforms Part-2, OBHAN &amp; ASSOCIATES, (Feb 23, 2022, 5:23 PM), https:\/\/www.obhanandassociates.com\/blog\/india-tightens-the-noose-on-intermediaries-and-social-media-platforms-part-2\/<\/li>\n<li>Bhumika Indulia, Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, SCC ONLINE BLOG, (Feb 23, 2022, 5:24 PM), https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2021\/05\/26\/information-technology-intermediary-guidelines-and-digital-media-ethics-code-rules-2021-2\/<\/li>\n<li>New Intermediary Rules: What Social Media Giants Stand to Lose, and Why you should be Worried, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, (Feb 23, 2022, 5:25 PM), https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/et-explains\/intermediary-tag-what-social-media-giants-stand-to-lose-and-why-you-should-be-worried\/articleshow\/82943504.cms<\/li>\n<li>Malavika Raghavan, India\u2019s New Intermediary and Digital Media Rules: Expanding the Boundaries of Executive Power in Digital Regulation, FUTURE OF PRIVACY FORUM, (Feb 23, 2022, 5:26 PM), https:\/\/fpf.org\/blog\/indias-new-intermediary-digital-media-rules-expanding-the-boundaries-of-executive-power-in-digital-regulation\/<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction On 25th February 2021, the Government of India issued a notification introducing new social media intermediary rules called the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 under the Information Technology Act, 2000.[1] These rules sparked widespread debate on the right to privacy of Indian citizens and generated significant public<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":368,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,97],"tags":[24],"class_list":{"0":"post-7790","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-media-laws","7":"category-technology-laws","8":"tag-just-in"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/368"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7790\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}