Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
The IT Rules 2021 were notified under Section 87 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and created the most comprehensive social media and digital media regulation framework India had seen.
- Notified on February 25, 2021 under the IT Act, 2000 by MeitY.
- Three-part structure: Part I (general intermediary due diligence), Part II (significant social media intermediaries — platforms with 50+ lakh users), Part III (digital media ethics code for online news publishers and OTT platforms).
- Part II obligations include: Chief Compliance Officer (Indian resident), Nodal Contact Person, Grievance Officer, monthly compliance reports, proactive content monitoring.
- Part III: Three-tier grievance redressal (self-regulation → self-regulatory body → Inter-Departmental Committee under I&B Ministry). Publishers must follow a Programme Code and Advertising Code.
- Multiple High Courts and the Supreme Court have been examining challenges to various provisions, particularly the I&B Ministry oversight of news content.
● Tracked since March 30, 2026 · last seen August 08, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief