NEW DELHI: The Indian army has been empowered to directly regulate social media content pertaining to its military operations. To facilitate this, the Indian defense ministry has appointed a senior officer from the Additional Directorate General Strategic Communications (ADG SC) as the “Nodal Officer.”
This officer is granted authority under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to issue takedown requests to social media platforms regarding illegal content related to the Indian military. Previously, the army relied on the Ministry of Electronics and IT for content removal or blocking requests.
With this new directive, the ADG (Strategic Communication) can now identify cases and directly notify media platforms about military-related content. According to sources, the responsibility for handling such content now rests with the intermediaries, aiming for a more efficient response compared to the delays experienced with the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
In February, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had ordered the removal of an article from The Caravan that made allegations against the Indian Army. Section 79 empowers various ministries, departments, and law enforcement agencies to issue takedown notices with fewer restrictions than other sections of the IT Act.
Legal experts indicate that these developments illustrate how militaries globally seek legislative safeguards when facing perceived threats to their reputations. These actions raise concerns in Western countries that view India as a champion of democracy, as restrictions are now being placed to protect the military’s image.
