MEITY Issues Advisory On Hosting Of Mature Content In India By Intermediaries

Spearheaded by the Information Technology Act, 2000, (IT Act) and the rules thereunder, the information technology regulatory framework in India has undergone significant evolution in the past few years owing to the burgeoning presence and influence of intermediaries and social media platforms in the country. Such intermediaries, notwithstanding the pivotal role played by them in enabling citizens in claiming their freedom of speech and expression, have become the center of much debate and regulatory scrutiny due to the increased proliferation of, among other things, obscene / vulgar / pornographic / indecent / sexually explicit content (collectively, Mature Content) in the country. Subsequently, the depiction of Mature Content and its dissemination by intermediaries has emerged as a common bone of contention among public discourses, Parliament discussions as well as court proceedings.