India: IT and Internet

India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 introduces specific safeguards for processing children's personal data, requiring verifiable parental consent and restricting tracking, behavioural monitoring, and targeted advertising. With substantive provisions scheduled to commence in May 2027, businesses operating educational platforms, gaming companies, healthcare providers, and family-focused applications must examine their products, consent mechanisms, technology infrastructure, and internal governa

The episode explains how India’s new data protection framework balances the right of individuals to protect their personal data with the need of organisations to process data for lawful purposes.

On 20 July 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) notified the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Telecommunication Network) Rules, 2026 (Rules). The Rules operationalise Section 3(1)(b) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and establish a framework for six categories of telecommunication network authorisations: infrastructure provider (IP) (formerly, IP-I), digital connectivity infrastructure provider (DCIP), internet exchange point (IXP) provider, satellite earth station gateway (SESG) provider, cloud-hosted telecommunication network (CTN) provider and mobile number portability (MNP) provider.

The Delhi High Court's landmark ruling in Telegram FZ LLC v. Union of India addresses whether Section 69A of the IT Act permits the government to block an entire platform rather than specific content. Following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak scandal, where fraudulent channels circulated fake exam papers affecting millions of aspirants, the court upheld the Centre's power to impose a platform-wide ban on Telegram, sparking intense debate about the boundaries between examination integrity and digital censorship.

A sexual harassment and workplace coercion case at a prominent multinational information technology office in Nashik has sent shockwaves through India’s IT sector. What began as individual complaints has now escalated into a multi agency investigation involving multiple FIRs, arrests, suspensions, and a high level internal probe. At the heart of it all lies a critical question: did the system designed to protect employees actually work?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept. It is already shaping how businesses operate, how consumers interact online, and even how important decisions are made. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in everyday life, concerns around accountability, transparency, fairness and bias have become harder to ignore.

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released draft guidelines requiring brands to disclose the use of Artificial Intelligence in advertising.

India's digital and AI regulatory framework has entered a decisive new phase. On 10 February 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, introducing a comprehensive regulatory framework specifically addressing Synthetically Generated Information (“SGI”). These amendments, which took effect on 20 February 2026, mark India's response to the proliferation of deepfakes, AI-generated content, and other forms of synthetic media that can deceive users and cause significant harm.

The proliferation of online content platforms has generated persistent tension between the rights of individuals to seek redress for reputational harm and the statutory protections afforded to digital intermediaries...