The Indian government is exploring the possibility of granting several ministries the authority to issue takedown orders for social media content. This move is in response to the surge of fake and misleading posts often fueled by artificial intelligence technology.
The proposed expansion could involve ministries such as home affairs, external affairs, defence, and information and broadcasting, enabling them to direct social media platforms to remove objectionable content under Section 69 (A) of the IT Act, 2000. Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) might also be granted the power to combat the dissemination of inaccurate financial data by content creators online, a concern frequently raised by the market regulator.
Currently, takedown requests primarily originate from the IT ministry, but with these anticipated changes, tech giants like Meta and Google could anticipate a broader spectrum of ministries issuing content removal mandates.
Inter-ministerial dialogues are underway to finalize the specifics of amending the IT Act, streamlining the process for issuing takedown orders and enhancing content moderation on social media platforms.
Source: Inc42 Media