IT Act, 2000
Regulatory Framework for Digital Governance
The Information Technology Act, 2000 is India's primary legislation governing electronic commerce, digital signatures, cybercrime, and intermediary liability. Enacted following the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce, the Act has been substantially amended over time.
- Originally enacted in 2000 with 94 sections across 13 chapters; substantially amended by the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008
- Section 69A: Power to block websites — "where the Central Government or any of its officers specially authorised is satisfied that it is necessary in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, or public order"
- Section 79: Safe harbour for intermediaries (conditional on due diligence compliance)
- Section 87: Power of the Central Government to make rules — the IT Intermediary Guidelines Rules are framed under this section
- The Act is administered by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- A comprehensive replacement — the Digital India Act — has been under discussion since 2023 but is yet to be introduced in Parliament
● Tracked since February 10, 2026 · last seen April 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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