Social media: India - Revision history

Jyoti: /* Consumption of social media */

2026-03-29T07:35:01Z

‎Consumption of social media

Jyoti: /* Age limit, minimum */

2025-11-01T04:56:11Z

‎Age limit, minimum

Jyoti: /* Sender responsible for consequences of online posts: HC, 2023 */

2025-07-15T16:05:25Z

‎Sender responsible for consequences of online posts: HC, 2023

Jyoti at 10:21, 14 October 2023

2023-10-14T10:21:31Z

Jyoti: /* Social media and the law */

2023-09-13T09:16:27Z

‎Social media and the law

Jyoti: /* 2021 May: legal shield removed */

2023-07-29T19:45:38Z

‎2021 May: legal shield removed

Jyoti: /* Content removal requests */

2022-08-15T17:57:44Z

‎Content removal requests

Jyoti: /* WhatsApp group admins not liable for members’ posts: HC */

2022-01-28T13:25:27Z

‎ WhatsApp group admins not liable for members’ posts: HC

Jyoti: /* Government rules, regulations */

2021-07-28T18:58:25Z

‎Government rules, regulations

Jyoti: /* UN report: Indian rules don’t conform with international norms */

2021-07-16T12:51:03Z

‎UN report: Indian rules don’t conform with international norms

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
  On August 10, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale had passed a conditional interim order of stay and had directed X Corp to deposit Rs 25 lakh within a week. This works out to 50% of the Rs 50 lakh cost imposed by the single bench in its order dated June 30, 2023 wherein the appellant’s petition challenging a series of blocking orders issued by the central government between February 2, 2021 and February 28, 2022 was dismissed.
 =Consumption of social media=
@@ Line 44: / Line 57: @@
  There is now a growing movement towards digital detoxification in the West even as the situation is aggravated by AI — illustrated by the America’s troller-in-chief himself dispensing AI-generated garbage, adding to the copious output of social media sewage. Grassroots Advocacy organisations like the youth-led “LOG OFF Movement” are urging people to reject what is being called the “attention economy” amid a push to regulate social media companies, despite the major ones having burrowed their way into Washington DC and now allied with the ruling dispensation.
 [[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:56, 1 November 2025
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	On August 10, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale had passed a conditional interim order of stay and had directed X Corp to deposit Rs 25 lakh within a week. This works out to 50% of the Rs 50 lakh cost imposed by the single bench in its order dated June 30, 2023 wherein the appellant’s petition challenging a series of blocking orders issued by the central government between February 2, 2021 and February 28, 2022 was dismissed.		On August 10, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale had passed a conditional interim order of stay and had directed X Corp to deposit Rs 25 lakh within a week. This works out to 50% of the Rs 50 lakh cost imposed by the single bench in its order dated June 30, 2023 wherein the appellant’s petition challenging a series of blocking orders issued by the central government between February 2, 2021 and February 28, 2022 was dismissed.
		+
		+	=Consumption of social media=
		+	==As of 2025==
		+	[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=05_10_2025_028_005_cap_TOI Chidanand Rajghattta TNN, Oct 5, 2025: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	Washington : Driven by a youthful population and a mobile-first approach, India is getting sucked big-time into digital junk on social media platforms even as Western nations are showing signs of plateauing, and even declining, in this aspect.
		+
		+	A recent analysis by the digital audience insights company GWI reveals that daily time spent on social platforms by adults in developed countries has been on a downward trend since a peak in 2022 even as it is rising in India. By the end of 2024, usage in the West was down by nearly 10% from its highpoint, the decline most pronounced in Europe, although the jury is still out on the effect of AI, which is now throwing up new content.
		+
		+	However, India’s story is one of rapid and ongoing growth. With a median age of just 28.8, India is one of the world’s most youthful nations, and this demographic is fuelling its digital expansion. The country’s users spend an average of 2 hours, 28 minutes per day on social media, notably higher than the US average of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and far higher than Europe’s 1 hr, 48 minutes.
		+
		+	The divergence in usage trends is also reflected in platform preferences and content consumption. In India, platforms that facilitate a mobile first, video-heavy, and community-driven experience are the most popular. WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram are major players, with short-form video content like Reels and Shorts dominating engagement.
		+
		+	The data suggests that for many in the West, the initial novelty and high engagement of social media are fading. Binge is now cringe. This downward trend is seen most among heaviest historical users: teenagers and people in their twenties.
		+
		+	While platforms like TikTok — banned in India — are popular in the US, the overall consumption patterns are different, with some reports indicating a shift away from reflexive, time-filling scrolling toward more intentional online activities. In other words, Westerners are turning up their nose and nos, while Indians are plunging headlong into brain rot, sucking in social media slop just as they are with junk food and sugary drinks, while social media giants are picking their pockets.
		+
		+	In a recent essay, technology writer Cory Doctorow identified a three-stage life cycle for these platforms in a process he called “enshittification”, a predictable pattern of decay as they evolve to prioritise shareholder profit over user value.
		+
		+	Stage 1: Platforms are good to their users (Bait); offer a genuinely good service — often at a loss — to attract a massive, locked-in user base. Stage 2: (Switch). Once users are locked in (due to network effects or switching costs), the platform begins shifting the “surplus” value away from them and toward its business customers (suppliers, creators, advertisers). Stage 3: (Extraction). Finally, with both users and business customers fully dependent, the platform exploits the business customers, clawing back all remaining value to maximise profit for its shareholders. The platform becomes a “useless pile of shit”, filled with “botshit, crap gadgets”, and ad scams.
		+
		+	There is now a growing movement towards digital detoxification in the West even as the situation is aggravated by AI — illustrated by the America’s troller-in-chief himself dispensing AI-generated garbage, adding to the copious output of social media sewage. Grassroots Advocacy organisations like the youth-led “LOG OFF Movement” are urging people to reject what is being called the “attention economy” amid a push to regulate social media companies, despite the major ones having burrowed their way into Washington DC and now allied with the ruling dispensation.
		+
		+	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:India\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]

	=Content removal requests=		=Content removal requests=

@@ Line 405: / Line 405: @@
 Multiple complaints were filed against Shekher in Chennai, Karur and Tirunelveli after he circulated the post on his social media account on April 19, 2018.
-[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
+==X says it got orders to block Reuters, over 2,000 other accounts; Centre denies==
-SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
+[https://indianexpress.com/article/business/x-refutes-govt-received-orders-to-block-reuters-over-2000-accounts-10113868/ Soumyarendra Barik, July 9, 2025: ''The Indian Express'']
-[[Category:India|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
-SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
+Elon Musk-owned social media platform X has refuted the government over its blocking accounts of Reuters, saying it received blocking orders for more than 2,000 accounts in India, including those linked to the news agency on July 3. However, the government, in an official statement, doubled down on its earlier stance that it has not sent any such order on the specified date.
-SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Pages with broken file links|SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
+In a post via its Global Government Affairs handle on Tuesday, X said that on July 3, the Indian government ordered X to block 2,355 accounts in India, including international news outlets like Reuters under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
-SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
+[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
 SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
-[[Category:India|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
+[[Category:India|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
 SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
+[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
 SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Pages with broken file links|SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
 SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]

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 =Content removal requests=
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 SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
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 SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]

@@ Line 246: / Line 246: @@
 =Social media and the law=
 ==SC: Facebook, WhatsApp not to share users’ data with third parties==
 [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Vow-you-wont-share-users-data-SC-tells-07092017011014  AmitAnand Choudhary, Vow you won't share users' data, SC tells tech giants , September 7, 2017: The Times of India]
@@ Line 382: / Line 391: @@
 Multiple complaints were filed against Shekher in Chennai, Karur and Tirunelveli after he circulated the post on his social media account on April 19, 2018.
 [[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:57, 15 August 2022
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	'' Content removal requests received by social media from India and other countries: 2006-18 ''		'' Content removal requests received by social media from India and other countries: 2006-18 ''
		+
		+	=Digital civility index=
		+	==2019==
		+	[[File: India on the Digital Civility Index, 2019.jpg\|India on the Digital Civility Index, 2019 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F02%2F17&entity=Ar01706&sk=9963C9FD&mode=image February 17, 2020: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	'''See graphic''':
		+
		+	'' India on the Digital Civility Index, 2019 ''
		+
		+	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:India\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA
		+	SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]

	= Government rules, regulations=		= Government rules, regulations=

@@ Line 293: / Line 293: @@
 SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA]]
-== WhatsApp group admins not liable for members’ posts: HC==
+==WhatsApp group admins not liable for members’ posts: HC==
 [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL/2021/04/27&entity=Ar00907&sk=F39C663B&mode=text  Vaibhav Ganjapure , April 27, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
@@ Line 311: / Line 311: @@
 -Nagpur bench, Bombay HC
 ==2021 May: legal shield removed==

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:58, 28 July 2021
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	When contacted, a spokesperson for Twitter refused to comment. “We do not have any comment to offer at this time.” A spokesperson for Google and YouTube said, “As applicable to us under the new IT rules, we have appointed three officers in India.” Questions sent to Facebook and its group companies WhatsApp and Instagram did not get any formal response.		When contacted, a spokesperson for Twitter refused to comment. “We do not have any comment to offer at this time.” A spokesperson for Google and YouTube said, “As applicable to us under the new IT rules, we have appointed three officers in India.” Questions sent to Facebook and its group companies WhatsApp and Instagram did not get any formal response.
		+
		+	=Grievance redressal=
		+	==2021, May-June: the 1st month of the new system==
		+	[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL/2021/07/16&entity=Ar00702&sk=5C76F7D8&mode=text Pankaj Doval, July 16, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: Grievance redressal by social media in India in 2021, May-June, the 1st month of the new system.jpg\|Grievance redressal by social media in India in 2021, May-June: the 1st month of the new system <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL/2021/07/16&entity=Ar00702&sk=5C76F7D8&mode=text Pankaj Doval, July 28, 2021: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	Even as it faces government efforts to make it identify the original source of unlawful and inflammatory messaging, Facebook-owned instant messenger WhatsApp said on Thursday that it has banned over 20 lakh users in India during the month starting May 15, taking them down for “harmful behaviour”.
		+
		+	The company — which has been steadfast in its refusal to share the first source of illegal messages that have often been blamed by the government for incidents such as lynching and other crimes due to fake, viral messaging — said that its sweeping action was based on information gathered through technological tools and user feedback.
		+
		+	The action in India is significant because it is nearly one-fourth of the global bans that WhatsApp carries out in a month related to harmful behaviour.
		+
		+	The disclosure comes as part of the mandate under the new IT Rules, although the company has challenged the traceability provision in the Delhi high court.
		+
		+	''' Grievance officer got 345 complaints: WhatsApp '''
		+
		+	Earlier this month, WhatsApp’s parent Facebook had reported pulling down as many as 3.2 crore user posts in the same period, and these ranged from spam to adult nudity, bullying and harassment, and content around violent and graphic content. Both the reports, however, gave no data on censures over government orders, or requests by political parties.
		+
		+	WhatsApp said it deploys tools and resources to “prevent harmful behaviour” on the platform. "We are particularly focused on prevention because we believe it is much better to stop harmful activity from happening in the first place than to detect it after harm has occurred. The abuse detection operates at three stages of an account’s lifestyle: at registration; during messaging; and in response to negative feedback, which we receive in the form of user reports and blocks.”
		+
		+	The company said a “team of analysts augments these systems” to evaluate edge cases and help improve effectiveness over time.
		+
		+	It, however, insisted that person-to-person conversations on the platform are encrypted, and thus remain private. WhatsApp said it pays “close attention to user feedback” while also engaging with specialists in stemming misinformation, promoting cybersecurity, and preserving election integrity.
		+
		+	“We are an industry leader among end-to-end encrypted messaging services in preventing and combating abuse. In addition to our safety features and controls, we employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology developments to oversee these efforts. We enable users to block contacts and to report problematic content and contacts to us from inside the app.”
		+
		+	Apart from the bans, WhatsApp said its India grievance officer received 345 user complaints, including on issues such as account and product support, safety and ban appeal. It overturned 63 ban appeals.
		+
		+	Giving its report on user complaints, Facebook said it received 646 complaints in the same period, which included 198 related to ‘hacking of account’, 174 on ‘other issues’, 73 on ‘fake profile’, and 36 related to ‘nudity/partial nudity or in a sexual act’ heading. “Of these… we provided tools for users to resolve their issues in 363 cases… Of the other 297 reports where specialised review was needed, we reviewed content as per our policies. Of those, we took action on 47 pieces of content in total. The remaining 250 reports were reviewed but may not have been actioned due to the reasons explained above,” Facebook said.
		+
		+	Similarly, Instagram said that its grievance officer received 36 complaints in the period, including related to hacking of accounts (7), and ‘nudity/partial nudity or in a sexual act’ (25). “Of these incoming reports, we provided tools for users to resolve their issues in 10 cases.” Of the other, we took action on 20 pieces of content.

	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA		[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:51, 16 July 2021
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	“We would therefore encourage the government to take all necessary steps to carry out a detailed review of the Rules”, the report said.		“We would therefore encourage the government to take all necessary steps to carry out a detailed review of the Rules”, the report said.
		+
		+	===’S hut fake a/cs within 24 hrs of complaint’===
		+	[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2021%2F06%2F24&entity=Ar00303&sk=29C27BB8&mode=text Pankaj Doval, June 24, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+
		+	[[File: The rules as on 23 June 2021.jpg\| The rules as on 23 June 2021 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2021%2F06%2F24&entity=Ar00303&sk=29C27BB8&mode=text Pankaj Doval, June 24, 2021: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	In a major decision that is likely to end the menace of impersonation on social media in India, the Centre has mandated that top companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube have to remove accounts with fake profile pictures of known personalities and businesses, and even the general subscriber, within 24 hours of being notified of the same by the user or someone on his/her behalf.
		+
		+	The government has said that the mandate comes as part of the new IT Rules. Social media giants will thus need to act immediately after receiving a complaint. “For example, if a film actor, or a cricketer, or a politician, or any other user, objects to another person using his or her image/ picture to gain followers or to make their messaging more visible, or to carry out any illegal act, then they are within their right to ask the companies to take down the account. Provisions to this effect have been included in the new IT Rules for social media companies, and they have to take remedial action within a day after being notified by a user,” official sources told TOI.
		+
		+
		+	''' Users’ knowledge about a verified account is limited '''
		+
		+	Impersonators are a major sore point for popular personalities, influencers, activists and even corporates/ businesses as they mimic a legitimate account for various reasons. These may range from pure-play parody accounts, to those created for doing mischief or a crime, or to carry out a financial fraud. Some such accounts are also created by fans of popular personalities, and some are also run through bots.
		+
		+	Apart from using an image of a popular personality as their profile picture, some fake account holders may also add their own image to a celebrity/politician’s picture by morphing the original content in order to claim proximity, and get favours.
		+
		+	All such accounts, while being fake, use a real picture or morphed images, and even carry content that is generally similar to the personality that they are targeting, a source said. The IT ministry’s diktat comes under the grievance redressal mechanism that has been prescribed for social media platforms, and makes it contingent on the firms to remove any content around nudity, obscenity, and sexual act or conduct within 24 hours after receiving a complaint.
		+
		+	The issue of fake accounts is a menace the world over and is believed to have caused losses to the tune of billions of dollars over the years, apart from leading to crimes of various types.
		+
		+	While it is a messy affair for personalities who often find themselves targeted through fake news, it is an even bigger nuisance for corporates and businesses who become a victim of impersonation. Often such fake accounts of corporates are used for phishing attacks, selling counterfeit products, and even scams. While many platforms like Twitter, Instagram and You-Tube verify accounts of known personalities, the fakes are also present in abundance, behaving almost as close to the real accounts as possible for most of the time. And with the wide footprint of social media companies across the length and breadth of the country, there are numerous instances where people fall prey to the fake accounts, primarily believing the pictures used on profile.
		+
		+	The knowledge around a verified account is also limited, and many users are not aware that a blue tick, like on Twitter, signifies a confirmed account. The new IT rules make a mention of giving users option to verify their accounts, but this been kept as a voluntary exercise. This mandate is for platforms which are seen as “significant social media intermediaries”, or those with over 50 lakh users.

	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA		[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|S SOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIASOCIAL MEDIA: INDIA