MeitY notifies amendments to IT rules, 2021

New Delhi, Oct 23 (UNI) The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025 to amend the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules 2021) , an official statement said today.
These amendments aim to strengthen the framework of due diligence obligations of intermediaries under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The amendments to Rule 3(1)(d) introduce additional safeguards to ensure removal of unlawful content by intermediaries is carried out in a transparent, proportionate and accountable manner.
The amended rules will come into effect from November 15.
Basically, the IT rules 2021, were originally notified on February 25, 2021, and subsequently amended on October 28, 2022, and April 6, 2023.
They prescribe due diligence obligations on intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, with the objective of ensuring online safety, security, and accountability.
Under Rule 3(1)(d), intermediaries need to remove unlawful information upon receiving actual knowledge either through a court order or notification from the Appropriate Government, the statement added.
The review undertaken by MeitY highlighted the need for additional safeguards to ensure senior-level accountability, precise specification of unlawful content, and periodic review of government directions at a higher level.
UNI SAS