India’s internet is governed by a law written when the country had 5.5 million internet users. Today it has over 958 million active users. The Digital India Act (DIA) is supposed to fix that — but it’s stuck in limbo.
What the Digital India Act is
The DIA is a proposed law to replace the Information Technology Act, 2000 — a statute so old it doesn’t contain the word “internet.” MeitY announced the plan in March 2023, promising a modern framework for platform accountability, online safety, and emerging technologies like AI.
The IT Act was built for an era of dial-up and basic e-commerce. Enacted in 2000 when India had only 0.5% internet penetration, it has no framework for social media, algorithmic recommendation, deepfakes, or platform monopolies.
What the bill proposes
Based on MeitY’s public consultations and draft discussions, the DIA would introduce:
- Platform classification. Social media, e-commerce, AI tools, and gaming apps would be categorized by risk and size, with tailored compliance requirements for each.
- Reworked safe harbour. The IT Act’s blanket immunity for intermediaries would be narrowed. Platforms could face liability for content they actively promote through algorithms.
- New cybercrimes. Cyberbullying, doxxing, identity theft, and non-consensual sharing of personal information would become distinct criminal offences.
- Algorithmic transparency. Platforms may be required to disclose how recommendation algorithms work and offer users opt-out mechanisms.
- AI and deepfake regulation. Provisions for AI-generated content, with specific rules around deepfakes and misinformation.
What it means for you
For users: Stronger protections against online harassment, more control over personal data, and clearer rules on content takedowns. If enacted, platforms would owe you transparency about how they surface content.
For platforms: Heavier compliance burdens — especially around content moderation, algorithmic disclosure, and data handling. The shift from blanket safe harbour to conditional immunity is the biggest change.
Where it stands right now
The DIA has effectively stalled. Despite consultations in 2023, no public draft has been released and the bill has not been introduced in Parliament. MediaNama reported in December 2025 that references to the DIA have largely disappeared from official announcements.
Instead of a comprehensive new law, the government is regulating piece by piece — the DPDP Act for data protection, IT Rules amendments for deepfakes, and voluntary guidelines for AI governance.
No confirmed timeline for a public draft has been announced as of early 2026. Whether a comprehensive Digital India Act will eventually materialize or be replaced by piecemeal regulation remains an open question.
The bottom line
India needs a modern internet law. The DIA’s proposed provisions — platform accountability, new cybercrime categories, algorithmic transparency — address real gaps. But the bill doesn’t exist yet in any public form, and the government’s current preference is to patch the old IT Act rather than replace it. Without an official draft, the Digital India Act remains uncertain.