India: Issued MeitY grievance appellate committee report on social media intermediary obligations and concluded cases

On 2 August 2024, the Ministry for Electronic & Information Technology (MeitY) reported that under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules), intermediaries, including significant social media platforms, are obliged to ensure accountability for a safe and trusted internet. MeitY reported that from 1 March 2023 to 30 June 2024, 1’065 cases were filed with the Grievance Appellate Committees (GAC), and 937 of these cases were disposed of. The GACs established under the IT Rules 2021 are fully digital platforms, handling the entire appeal process online. Users can appeal against the decisions of grievance officers of social media and online intermediaries through the committee, which aims to resolve appeals within 30 days. The decisions of the GAC are binding, and compliance with them is necessary for platforms to retain their safe harbour protections.