Centre may expand social media blocking powers beyond IT Ministry amid deepfake concerns

The Centre is considering a proposal to allow multiple ministries to issue blocking orders to social media platforms, in a move aimed at strengthening action against fake and harmful online content.

At present, such powers are largely restricted to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The proposed change would extend similar authority to other key ministries.

According to officials, an inter-ministerial group is working on the proposal, which could enable departments such as Home Affairs, External Affairs, Defence and Information and Broadcasting to directly order content takedowns.

The move comes amid rising concerns over the spread of misinformation and AI-generated deepfakes online. Officials have indicated that faster response mechanisms are needed once such content is identified, to prevent it from spreading widely.

The proposal is aimed at decentralising decision-making so that ministries handling sensitive sectors can act quickly on content related to national security, foreign affairs or financial systems.

The discussions also follow recent instances of manipulated content circulating online, which have raised concerns within the government about the pace of current enforcement mechanisms.

If implemented, the change could significantly impact social media platforms, which may begin receiving takedown requests from a wider set of government agencies.

The proposal is still under consideration, and any changes would require modifications to existing legal provisions governing online content regulation.