Delhi police empowered to direct social media firms to remove 'illegal content' under IT Act

Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena has empowered at least 23 senior Delhi police officers to issue takedown orders to social media companies and intermediaries for removing illegal content under the Information Technology Act.

A gazette notification, issued on December 26, designated the Delhi police as the nodal agency for these operations in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, as reported by Hindustan Times.

The Delhi Home Department's notification specifies that district Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) along with officers from the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO), Economic Offences Wing, crime branch, special cell, special branch, Indira Gandhi International Airport, railways, and Metro have been authorised to issue takedown notices for cases within their jurisdiction.

These officers are also empowered to identify instances where information or communication links on computer resources controlled by intermediaries are used for unlawful acts.

Previously, such notices were issued via official email addresses under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, with social media platforms complying accordingly. The recent directive by the Home Ministry has led to the appointment of nodal officers in various states and Union Territories, including Delhi, to streamline the process of managing and removing illegal online content.