Meity urges social platforms to tighten scrutiny of false and manipulated content

On Thursday the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) sent an advisory to social-media platforms urging “enhanced diligence” when handling content that is false, manipulated, or shared without proper context. The ministry said such material can mislead the public, create confusion and jeopardize public order, citing examples like recycled old photos and videos, AI-generated posts, impersonation of officials and content that could provoke violence.

The advisory was issued while protests continue in the capital over calls for chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, and follows a recent clash with Meta after a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was temporarily taken down. Experts say the notice does not impose fresh obligations, but reiterates requirements already set out in the Intermediary Rules, 2021 and related IT Act provisions. A draft amendment to those rules, published on 30 March, would treat future advisories as mandatory, though it has not yet been notified. The ministry declined to comment further.