Social Media Creators May Come Under Press Council Watch
Rattan Singh Gill
Jammu Tawi: In a significant move to bridle the misinformation and fake news, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is reportedly working on a major overhaul of rules to bring all sort of media within the ambit of the Press Council Act, 1978. This would expand the Press Council of India’s (PCI) mandate beyond newspapers to the digital ecosystem, including prominent content creators and social media influencers.
In a submission before the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has pushed for wider changes to the Information Technology Rules, 2021. The proposal was filed in connection with the ongoing case involving podcaster and content creator Ranveer Allahbadia, challenged by the Cure SMA Foundation.
As per the Ministry’s affidavit, the planned amendments aim to expand the definition of “obscene digital content” under Rule 2, so that it does not apply only to limited categories of content. If accepted, the revised definition would cover digital news outlets, OTT platforms, social media intermediaries and user-generated content, creating a far wider range of material that may be treated as prohibited.
The Ministry has also sought to introduce a new Code of Ethics on obscenity, applicable to online news and current affairs publishers, streaming platforms, and creators producing content for social media. Preliminary observations indicate the draft standards are broad and could pose compliance challenges for small organisations and individual creators who may lack legal or editorial resources.
Significantly, the Centre wants to align these provisions with emerging AI and deepfake rules being developed by MeitY, which could require watermarking and traceability measures for synthetic and AI-assisted content. If enforced, such steps would not only affect creators but also compel platforms to overhaul their moderation systems.
With the proposed amendments spanning content regulation, ethical standards and AI governance, the Supreme Court’s review will be crucial in deciding how far these changes can go and whether they meet constitutional safeguards.
Officials familiar with the development said the proposal seeks to transform the PCI into a wider supervisory body covering print, broadcast and digital media, enabling a unified mechanism for monitoring content and enforcing accountability across platforms.
A key feature being discussed is the creation of eligibility thresholds based on follower or subscriber count, so that high-reach influencers and digital publishers fall within the PCI’s regulatory ambit. The government is expected to place the draft amendment before Parliament during the upcoming session, a senior official confirmed.
The move aligns with the Centre’s broader effort to tighten checks on fake news. In July 2026, the government expanded the Norms of Journalistic Conduct and widened the contours of the Programme Code and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to address defamatory and misleading content across print, television and online platforms. While OTTs and digital news publishers are already bound by a code of ethics under the IT Rules, individual influencers and independent creators remain outside any statutory regulation, prompting the latest initiative.
Inputs submitted to the committee indicated that creators spreading fabricated stories profit heavily from clicks, advertisements and viral engagement. Some influencers, the panel noted, are backed by groups using donations or financial incentives to sway public opinion or malign political rivals.
