The Indian Ministry of Defense has delegated the responsibility for managing illegal military-related content on social media to the armed forces. This shift aims to enable faster action against content deemed unlawful. A senior officer from the Additional Directorate General of Strategic Communication has been designated as the “nodal officer,” empowering them to issue takedown notices to social media platforms under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act.
Previously, the Indian Army relied on the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for content removal, a process that often took time. The new directive allows for more direct and rapid responses to misinformation, particularly from accounts suspected of ties to hostile entities. This streamlined process is intended to enhance national security and protect the military’s reputation.
Despite the authority to issue removal notices, reports indicate that no new requests have been made since the directive was issued on October 24. Concerns have been raised about the ambiguity of Section 79(3)(b), which complicates the framework for directing content removal and the underlying reasons for it
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