Six Indian media organisations have demanded the complete withdrawal of the draft Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Second Amendment Rules, 2026.
The IT rules govern social media platforms, search engines, messaging services and online news aggregators. The amendments have been open for public feedback since March 30.
Journalists and office-bearers of the Press Club of India, new media industry body Digipub, Editors’ Guild of India, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Network of Women in Media, and the Delhi Union of Journalists held a discussion on the amendments at the Press Club here on Saturday.
Their resolution demanded a withdrawal of the amendments in totality as "…the compliance framework of the draft IT Rules 2026 is financially terminal for them besides creating a 'chilling effect' where creators may self-censor to avoid any risk of algorithmic misidentification”.
The amendments require mandatory compliance with ministerial advisories and clarifications that are binding to function as a digital platform. They also extend the code of ethics for news portals and OTT services to all social media users discussing the news.
The resolution added that the government "must withdraw all delegated powers under Section 69A of the Act, 2000, to various agencies, which have completely steamrolled the procedural safeguards under the said section”, and "that the compression of timeline for intermediaries from 36 hours to three hours by amending the IT Rules, 2021, in February 2026, for taking down content must be withdrawn”.
It further demanded that the Centre withdraw Rule 16 of the IT Rules, 2009, "which enables blocking of speech without accountability”, as well as "… the draconian operation of the Sahyog portal, which is functioning without any legislative sanction and in complete violation of the procedural safeguards under Section 79A of the IT Act, 2000”.
The journalist groups added that any changes in law affecting the constitutional freedom of the media under Article 19 (1) (a) should be discussed with them before the Centre publishes the draft legislation.