Fake News and Misinformation — Legal Reforms

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
IT Act, 2000 (Original)	2000	The original Information Technology Act provided the foundational legal framework for electronic governance and cybercrime in India. It included Section 66A, which criminalized 'offensive messages' online.	Established the legal basis for cyber regulation but Section 66A proved to be a controversial provision, leading to its eventual striking down by the Supreme Court for its vagueness and chilling effect on free speech.
Shreya Singhal v. Union of India	2015	Supreme Court judgment striking down Section 66A of the IT Act, 2000.	A landmark decision that significantly bolstered freedom of speech online in India, setting a higher standard for restricting online content and influencing subsequent regulatory approaches to misinformation.
Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules	2021	These rules, framed under Section 87 of the IT Act, 2000, introduced stringent due diligence requirements for social media intermediaries and digital news publishers.	Shifted the onus of content moderation and grievance redressal onto platforms, mandating specific compliance officers and requiring removal of 'patently false' content with intent to mislead, thereby significantly impacting online content regulation in India.