The central government has sent a clear warning to social media companies and other online platforms.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has said that platforms must take strict and immediate action against obscene, vulgar, and illegal content.
If they fail to do so, they could face serious legal action.
This warning was issued through an advisory released on December 29, 2025.
Platforms Told to Act Immediately
The government has asked social media companies to review their systems and remove any illegal or objectionable content without delay.
Platforms have been told to strengthen their monitoring and moderation processes.
Any negligence in handling such content can lead to prosecution under the law.
IT Act and IT Rules Apply
In its advisory, the government reminded platforms of their duties under the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules, 2021.
These laws make intermediaries responsible for ensuring their platforms are not used to share obscene, pornographic, child-harming, or otherwise illegal material.
This responsibility covers uploading, storing, and sharing content.
Legal Protection Depends on Compliance
The advisory also highlighted Section 79 of the IT Act.
Under this section, social media platforms get legal protection for third-party content only if they follow all due diligence rules.
If a platform ignores these rules, it can lose this protection and be held legally responsible.
Strict Deadlines for Content Removal
The government made it clear that illegal content must be removed quickly.
If a court or an authorised government agency flags content as unlawful, platforms must take it down or block access within the given time. Any delay will be treated as a serious violation.
Why the Government Issued This Warning
According to the government, complaints about obscene and unlawful online content have increased sharply.
Concerns have been raised by the public, courts, and other stakeholders, and the issue has also been discussed in Parliament.
Due to the growing number of violations and ongoing investigations, the government decided to issue a stricter advisory to ensure better compliance by online platforms.
