Indian army granted authority to control social media

NEW DELHI: The Indian army has been granted authority to directly regulate social media content related to its military

For this purpose, the Indian defense ministry has appointed a senior officer, the Additional Directorate General Strategic Communications (ADG SC), as the “Nodal Officer.”

Under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, this officer can issue takedown requests to social media platforms concerning illegal content related to the Indian military. Previously, the Indian Army relied on the Ministry of Electronics and IT to manage illegal content removal or blocking requests.

With this notification, the ADG (Strategic Communication) can now identify cases and directly issue notices to media platforms for content related to the military.

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According to sources, “Afterward, it’s up to the intermediaries to determine how to handle such content.” This approach is intended to provide a quicker response, as utilizing the Ministry of Electronics and IT often caused delays.

In February, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the removal of an article from The Caravan that made accusations against the Indian Army. Section 79 grants various ministries, departments, and law enforcement agencies a broad authority to issue takedown notices with fewer limitations than other sections of the IT Act.

Legal experts note that these developments reflect how any nation’s military seeks legislative protection when it perceives a threat to its image.

These actions serve as an example to Western countries that consider India a democracy champion, as limits are now imposed to safeguard the military’s image.