In a significant move to clean up the digital space, the Indian government has issued a stern advisory to all social media platforms and online intermediaries. This latest directive, issued on December 29, 2025, specifically targets obscene content and pornographic content that has been circulating across the internet. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, known as MeitY, has made it clear that platforms must act quickly or face serious legal consequences.
The MeitY advisory comes at a time when digital safety is a top priority for families and policymakers alike. Government officials noted that many large platforms were failing to properly screen and remove inappropriate material. This gap in oversight has led to a rise in content that many consider harmful to the social fabric and the safety of children.
Role of the Supreme Court and Recent Actions
This new order was not a random decision. It follows a strong push from the Supreme Court India, which recently urged the Union government to tackle the issue of internet obscenity. Just about a month ago, the court expressed deep concern over the easy availability of explicit material online and asked for a robust regulatory framework to protect citizens.
The government has already shown its commitment to this cause by blocking nearly 25 domestic OTT platforms that specialised in erotic content. These platforms were often found hosting sexually explicit material without proper age verification or warnings. Furthermore, the government has filed a note in the Supreme Court proposing even stricter language in our laws to prohibit obscenity across the entire Indian internet.
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Strict Obligations Under IT Rules 2021
The legal backbone of this advisory is the IT Rules 2021. These rules are very clear about the responsibilities of online intermediaries. They are required to make reasonable efforts to ensure that users do not host or share any information that is obscene content, pornographic content, or paedophilic content.
If a platform has more than 50 lakh users, it is classified as a large intermediary. Under the rules, these big players are now being told they must use advanced technology to automatically detect and remove prohibited material. Relying only on user complaints is no longer enough. The government expects these companies to be proactive in their content moderation to ensure a safe environment for everyone.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
One of the most important parts of this advisory is the warning about “safe harbour” protection. Under Section 79 of the IT Act, platforms are generally not held responsible for what their users post. However, this protection is conditional. If a platform fails to follow the government’s guidelines or ignores the presence of unlawful information, they can lose this legal shield.
Without this protection, the platforms and even their senior officers could face legal action. This includes prosecution under the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is the new criminal code of India. The government is essentially telling these companies that they are statutorily obligated to perform due diligence and maintain decency on their pages.
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A Safer Digital Future for India
While it is unclear if a single event triggered this specific order on December 29, it is part of a much larger effort to make the internet a trusted space. The focus is especially on protecting children and marginalised voices from being exposed to pornographic content or harmful imagery.
By demanding more consistency in how content is identified and removed, the government aims to create a “cleaner feed” for the millions of people who use the internet in India every day. Platforms are now expected to review their internal compliance frameworks and report their progress. For the common user, this shift should hopefully lead to a more respectful and safer online experience where technology is used to protect rather than exploit.
