Social Media Platforms To Remove Obscene Content: The central government has issued a strong warning to online platforms, especially social media companies, regarding obscene, objectionable, pornographic, paedophilic and other illegal content. In an important advisory issued on 29 December 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has directed social media companies to immediately review their compliance framework. The government has clearly said that if the platforms do not take action against illegal content, then strict action will be taken against them under the law.
In its advisory, MeitY has reminded social media platforms of their legal responsibilities. The ministry said, “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,”
According to the government, it is mandatory for the platforms to follow the prescribed rules to avoid liability regarding third party content.
The Ministry has found that inappropriate and illegal content is not being effectively controlled on many social media platforms. In view of this negligence, the government has given a blunt warning. 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,”
MeitY reiterated that under the IT Act and IT Rules, 2021, it is the responsibility of online platforms to ensure that content that is harmful, obscene or illegal to children is not uploaded or shared on their platforms. The Ministry has imposed “due diligence obligations” Emphasizing the need for greater rigor and consistency, especially with regard to identification, reporting and immediate removal of obscene and pedophilic content.
The IT Ministry has directed that as soon as any platform receives “actual knowledge” If found, he will have to remove the content or block access to it within the stipulated time. 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 in any manner whatsoever,”
According to IT Rules 2021, it is mandatory to remove content depicting or impersonating a person in a sexual act within 24 hours of receiving the complaint.
At the end of the advisory, social media companies have been asked to immediately:
Do an internal review. The government has made it clear that to maintain the intermediary status, strict adherence to the IT Act will be necessary.
