📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Harvinder Chandigarh
Technology
Punjab & Haryana HC orders social media users be served copy of takedown orders
✍️ Scroll.in
🗓 20 Oct 2026, 01:32 PM
👁 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that platforms must provide users with a copy of any takedown order issued against their content, aiming to enhance transparency and due process.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a directive that any social media platform serving a takedown order must also furnish the affected user with a copy of that order. The bench emphasized that users have a right to know the specific grounds on which their content is being removed, enabling them to assess the legality of the action.
The order seeks to strengthen procedural fairness by ensuring that users are not left in the dark about the reasons for content removal. It also aims to curb arbitrary or unjustified takedowns, which have been a point of contention between platforms and content creators.
Legal experts note that the ruling could set a precedent for greater accountability of digital intermediaries across India, prompting platforms to revise their notice‑and‑take mechanisms to comply with the court's instructions.
The order seeks to strengthen procedural fairness by ensuring that users are not left in the dark about the reasons for content removal. It also aims to curb arbitrary or unjustified takedowns, which have been a point of contention between platforms and content creators.
Legal experts note that the ruling could set a precedent for greater accountability of digital intermediaries across India, prompting platforms to revise their notice‑and‑take mechanisms to comply with the court's instructions.