In a recent development, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued takedown notices to several YouTubers and digital news publishers for failing to comply with a Delhi court order directing the removal of allegedly defamatory content against Adani Enterprises Ltd.
The court order, issued on September 6 by the Senior Civil Judge of Rohini Court, Delhi, directed multiple YouTube channels and independent Instagram handles to remove objectionable videos, articles, and posts within five days. However, non-compliance has now prompted the ministry to step in.
Government Directive
On September 16, the MIB formally sent notices to 13 digital publishers citing their failure to act on the court’s order in this case.The ministry has directed publishers to take down the flagged content within 36 hours and Submit a compliance report on actions taken.
According to the notice 138 YouTube links and 83 Instagram posts have been flagged and one particular channel has been directed to remove 42 videos related to Adani Enterprises Ltd.
The official communication states:
“It has come to the notice of this Ministry that the above-said Order has not been complied with within the stipulated timeline. Accordingly, you are directed to take appropriate action for compliance and submit the action-taken report within 36 hours of this communication.”
Impact on Media Outlets
The order names several journalists, media houses, and independent content creators, underscoring the government’s firm stance against the spread of false, misleading, or defamatory information online.
A copy of the order has also been shared with Google and Meta to restrict the distribution of the disputed content across YouTube and Instagram.
