Safe Harbour Reforms

Current Context : The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) initiated a consultation paper seeking stakeholder feedback on amending “safe harbour” provisions in the Information Technology Act, 2000, to curb the spread of online misinformation.

About Safe Harbour

• Definition: Shields intermediaries (social media platforms, hosting services) from liability for user-generated content if they follow due-diligence and takedown rules.
• India’s Provision: Section 79 of the IT Act; read with IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• Key Conditions:
  1. Due Diligence: Must publish terms of service and appoint grievance/officer.
  2. Knowledge Test: Liability arises only if the intermediary “has actual knowledge” of unlawful content and fails to act within 36 hours of a takedown notice.

Court/Government Orders: Content removal mandated only upon a valid order or notification.