High Court Rules Government Must Inform Users When Blocking Social Media Pages

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that when the government orders a social media platform to block a page, a copy of that order must also be sent to the user.

The Court Case

Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya issued the order while hearing a petition from Haryana 24 News Network Private Limited. Meta blocked the news platform's page in India on August 21 following an order from the Haryana police under the Information Technology Act 2000. The court noted that while the 2021 IT rules do not explicitly require the government to notify the user before sending the takedown notice to the platform, this obligation is a basic part of natural justice and must be read into the rules.

Unauthorized Order

The court also found that the blocking order was issued by the Senior Superintendent of Police in Yamunanagar. Under the IT rules, the authorized officer must hold a rank of at least Inspector General of Police. The court rejected the government argument that these powers could be passed down to an SSP, and ordered the page to be restored within 24 hours of receiving a certified copy of the court order.

Context

Courts routinely examine whether government actions follow established legal procedures and respect the rights of citizens to defend themselves. This ruling reinforces the idea that digital platforms and state agencies must operate with transparency and give affected parties a fair chance to use grievance redressal mechanisms.