Would The Government Restrict Community Notes On Social Media Posts? MeitY Invites Public Opinions On Draft Information Technology Rules, 2021

Key Points:

The Union Government could restrict or remove in its entirety the feature of Community notes on X, according to recent media reports. This comes following proposed amendments to the Information Technology Rules, 2021, which states that X’s community guidelines should be brought under the regulatory ambit of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), adds the report.

This would effectively give power to the Union Ministry on scrutinising the information presented by the Community Notes, and remove them if found objectionable or misleading according to them. However, the Union Ministry has invited applications from the public to present their opinions on the Draft IT Rules, 2021.

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What Does Nishikant Dubey Have To Say On Community Notes?

Nishikant Dubey, Lok Sabha MP and chairperson of the Parliament's Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said that either social media posts should shut down the community notes feature or pay taxes to the Indian government. He also mentioned on April 10, 2026, that the Parliament’s standing committee unanimously informed MeitY that community notes are not the reflections of intermediaries, meaning that they should not represent stark or critical views on a post. 

In a post on X (dated April 10, 2026), Dubey reflected the same citing Australia’s intermediary in the justice system rules. He uploaded the first page of the overview of the intermediary schemes in Australia (as of 2024). However, in a contrasting move, there is a community note on Dubey’s post that states that no such agreement, unanimous decision, or amendment has been proposed to the MeitY. This fact is also corroborated by a detailed analysis of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), that also points out the specific act of the Australian government, the Australia's Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Act 2021. 

Internet Freedom Foundation’s Counter Claims

An official statement from the IFF on April 10, 2026, reads: “The only proximate reference appears to be a report of the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology dealing with the review of mechanisms to curb fake news, a subject whose administrative nodal ministry is the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and not, as asserted, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.”

The community note further states that the aforementioned Australian rules cited by Dubey are regarding intermediaries in Australia’s judicial system, not relating taxes paid by social media platforms or publishers. This is again corroborated by the IFF, an independent advocacy organisation focusing on securing internet freedom. 

Additionally, the MeitY has invited feedback/comments of stakeholders on the Draft amendments to Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. In an official notice issued on April 10, 2026, the Union Ministry stated that users’ feedback would be helpful to get public opinion on the law, concerning digital rules. MeitY has extended the deadline to April 29, 2026, encouraging users to submit their opinions, which will not be disclosed. This comes following consideration from many civil society organisations and industry groups.

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What are Community Notes on X?

Community notes are added context to a post that highlights information by several users who contribute to present their views on the said post. According to X Corporation: “Community Notes aim to create a better informed world by empowering people on X to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts. Contributors can leave notes on any post and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown on a post.”

X however makes it clear that it does not influence, edit or modify the notes. It is on the users’ fact-checking ability and counter claims to potentially misleading views that will be presented objectively. 

(Rh)

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