India warns social media platforms to take down bomb threats or face legal action

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a directive to all social media platforms asking them to comply with the Information Technology (IT) and Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Rules. MeitY asked platforms to make “reasonable efforts” to promptly remove messages containing bomb threats or risk “liability.”

The ministry has warned that failure to comply with these IT rules may result in loss of protection under the IT Act. These protections currently protect platforms from legal liability for third-party content posted on their sites.