BT Explainer: What the proposed IT rules mean for influencers, platforms, users

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, that could significantly alter how news and current affairs content is shared online.

The draft changes, released on March 30, aim to expand regulatory oversight beyond traditional digital news publishers to include individual users, influencers and content creators, potentially bringing millions under the ambit of government scrutiny.

The proposal is currently open for public consultation until April 14, 2026.
 
What is changing?

At the core of the proposed amendments is an expansion of Part III of the IT Rules, which deals with the Code of Ethics and a three-tier oversight mechanism for digital news publishers.

Until now, this framework applied only to registered news publishers, aggregators and similar entities. Individual users were exempt. The draft proposal removes that distinction, meaning anyone posting content categorised as “news and current affairs” could now be subject to the same regulatory framework.

This effectively places everyday users and influencers on par with publishers when it comes to compliance obligations.

Expanded government oversight

The amendments would also strengthen the powers of the government’s Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC), allowing it to review, modify or order the removal of content deemed problematic.

The committee would additionally be empowered to initiate investigations into such content. This marks a shift from platform-led moderation to more direct state oversight.

The ministry has argued that the move is aimed at tackling misinformation, including fake news and AI-generated deepfakes, which have grown in scale and sophistication.

Impact on platforms

The changes could significantly raise the stakes for compliance for major social media companies such as Meta Platforms, Google, and X Corp.

Under the draft rules, these platforms would be required to follow government advisories and directions as part of their “due diligence” obligations. Failure to comply could result in the loss of safe harbour protections under Section 79 of the IT Act, exposing them to liability for user-generated content.

What it means for creators

India’s creator economy, estimated to include 2 to 2.5 million active digital creators and generating $20–25 billion in revenue, could be directly impacted.

A large number of these creators produce opinion-driven content, commentary and on-ground reportage. Under the proposed rules, such activity could be classified as publishing news, even if creators do not identify as journalists.

This blurring of lines between individuals and publishers could increase legal exposure and compliance burdens for independent creators.

Why critics are concerned

Digital rights advocates have raised sharp concerns over the proposed changes. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) described the amendments as “digital authoritarianism,” warning of expanded state control over online speech.

“The expansion of Rule 8(1) to cover Rules 14, 15, and 16 is an attempt to expand the blocking powers of MIB to both intermediaries and users who are not 'publishers' but post news and current affairs content online,” the IFF said.

It further cautioned that “the IDC can now examine 'matters' relating to user-generated news content on intermediary platforms without the Code of Ethics framework having been adjudicated as constitutional, the government effectively obtains the content oversight machinery that three High Courts found problematic, through a different procedural door.”

Concerns flagged by the organisation include risks around surveillance, data retention, platform independence and freedom of speech.

Deepro Guha, Partner at The Quantum Hub, echoed similar concerns, noting that the amendments “along with the increased powers of MIB to give directions to intermediaries, are likely to cause increased oversight of individual content creators, with the potential for increased censorship.”

What happens next

The draft amendments remain in the consultation phase, with MeitY inviting feedback from stakeholders, including platforms, civil society organisations and individual citizens.

Feedback on the draft rules can be submitted by email to itrules.consultation@meity.gov.in.