Online Platforms Warning On Obscene Content Enforcement

Hyderabad, Dec. 30 (Maxim News): The Centre has issued a strong online platforms warning, cautioning social media companies and other digital intermediaries of legal consequences if they fail to act against obscene, vulgar, pornographic, paedophilic, and other unlawful content. The warning was issued through an advisory dated December 29, 2025, by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).

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In the advisory, Meity asked intermediaries to immediately review their compliance frameworks and ensure strict action against unlawful content hosted or shared on their platforms. The ministry warned that failure to do so could lead to prosecution under existing laws. It reminded platforms that they are statutorily obligated under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act to observe due diligence as a condition for availing exemption from liability for third party content.

The advisory stated, “Intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, are reminded that they are statutorily obligated under Section 79 of the IT Act… to observe, due diligence as a condition for availing exemption from liability in respect of third-party information uploaded, published, hosted, shared or transmitted on or through their platforms.”

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Meity flags weak enforcement by platforms

Meity said it has observed that several social media platforms have not been acting strictly against obscene, vulgar, inappropriate, and unlawful content. Therefore, the ministry reiterated that non compliance with the IT Act and the Information Technology Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, may result in serious consequences.

The advisory said, “It is reiterated that non-compliance with the provisions of the IT Act and/or the IT Rules, 2021 may result in consequences, including prosecution under the IT Act, BNS, and other applicable criminal laws, against the intermediaries, platforms and their users.”

The ministry reminded platforms that the law mandates them to make reasonable efforts to ensure users do not host, display, upload, publish, transmit, store, or share content that is obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, harmful to children, or otherwise unlawful.

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Strict timelines and removal obligations

Meity said there is a need for greater consistency and rigour in identifying, reporting, and removing unlawful content. It directed intermediaries to act expeditiously to remove or disable access to such content once they receive actual knowledge through court orders or reasoned communication from the government or authorised agencies.

The advisory clearly stated, “The intermediaries shall not permit the hosting, displaying, uploading, publication, transmission, storage, sharing of any content that is obscene, pornographic, vulgar, indecent, sexually explicit, paedophilic, or otherwise prohibited under any law for the time being in force.”

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Under the IT Rules 2021, platforms are required to remove or disable access to content depicting sexual acts or impersonation within 24 hours of receiving a complaint from the affected individual or a representative. Meity has now asked platforms to immediately review internal compliance systems, content moderation practices, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure continuous adherence to the law.

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