GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 603
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 22.07.2026
NEW REGULATIONS TO COVER SOCIAL MEDIA USERS
603. SHRI SELVAGANAPATHI T.M.:
Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to
state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the Government is planning new regulation to cover social media
users and if...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 603
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 22.07.2026 NEW REGULATIONS TO COVER SOCIAL MEDIA USERS
603. SHRI SELVAGANAPATHI T.M.:
Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to
state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the Government is planning new regulation to cover social media users and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether it is also true that the Government is considering sending take down notices to individual users for their social media posts;
(c) if so, whether it is a fact that the move has been criticized by many including the Internet Freedom Foundation calling it a massive expansion of unconstitutional censorship;
(d) if so, whether it is also a fact that the Government has been increasingly issuing broad takedown orders in the last several weeks against posts and accounts that are anti- establishment; and
(e) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)
(a) to (e): The policies of Government are aimed at ensuring an Open, Safe and Trusted and Accountable Internet for its users, including women and children. Government is committed to ensure that the Internet in India is free from any form of unlawful content or information.
The Information Technology Act, 2000 (“IT Act”) and Rules made thereunder have put in place a framework to deal with unlawful and harmful content in the digital space. The IT Act and rules made thereunder provide for Government to issue lawful blocking orders and reasoned intimations for removal of/disabling access to unlawful information. The Hon’ble Supreme Court, in its judgment dated 24th March, 2015 in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (Writ Petition (Civil) No. 167 of 2012), upheld the constitutional validity of these provisions.
Any person aggrieved by the orders under the IT Act can challenge such orders before the Courts. The Hon’ble Karnataka High Court, in its judgment dated 30th June 2023 in Writ Petition No. 13710 of 2022, upheld the Government’s exercise of its lawful powers under the IT Act.
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