Policies/Regulations

Yesterday evening, on October 22, 2025 the Union Government notified amendments to Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, 2021 titled as Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025 which cements the, “Sahyog Platform” (referred to as the, “Sahyog Rules, 2025”). Our statement on it is contained below:

The Sahyog Rules, 2025 reinforce a centralised takedown portal called, “Sahyog” that has been created by the Home Ministry and gives effect to previously through MeitY’s (Ministry of Electoronic and Information Technology) Office Memorandums. These Office Memorandums envisioned a centralised takedown process under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for intermediaries such as social media companies. The technical facility/platform to do this is through Sahyog that has been ripe with abuse as in reported instances when officers authorised under it from the Indian Railways issued takedown orders for reporting and videos related to a stampede on the Delhi Railway Station on February 17, 2025 (press report). The creation of Sahyog was challenged in a petition filed by X Corp. in which DigiPub separately highlighted its impact on freedom of speech especially for digital news platforms. On 24.09.2025 a single bench of the Karnataka High Court upheld the validity of Sahyog terming it as a, “facilitation portal”. The Sahyog Rules, 2025 which have been made subsequent to this decision hence go beyond the decision of the Hon’ble Court (judgement analysis).

(Visit the source link for the full list of concerns.)