Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Governance
Why in news?
More than 2,300 blocking orders were sent to 19 online platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, between October 2024 & October 2025 through the Union Home Ministry’s Sahyog portal.
- Sahyog Portal – It is designed to combat cybercrime by coordinating government agencies and online intermediaries.
- Launched in – 2024.
- Created by – Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a Ministry of Home Affairs initiative that acts as the national nodal point to combat cybercrime in India.
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Purpose –
- It was developed to automate the process of sending notices to intermediaries (social media platforms, service providers, etc.) under the IT Act, 2000.
- It enables the removal or disabling of access to any unlawful online content quickly.
- It brings together all authorised agencies and intermediaries on one platform for ensuring immediate action against unlawful online information.
- Working –
- Agency issues notice – Authorised officers send takedown requests to platforms through Sahyog.
- Platform responds – They can remove the content, ask for more details, or refuse with reasons.
- Agency reviews – If reasons are accepted, the case closes. If not, the agency insists on compliance.
- Show cause notice – If the platform still refuses, the agency issues a formal notice demanding an explanation.
- Final action – If the explanation is rejected, the platform can lose safe harbour protection under IT Rules, making it legally liable for unlawful content.
- Legal Basis – Operates under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000.
- Section 79 protects platforms from being blamed for what users post.
- But under Section 79(3)(b), the platforms lose this protection if they don’t remove unlawful content after being told by the government.
- Significance – To create a safe cyber space for citizens of India by establishing an effective framework for the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrime.
References
- Indian Express | Sahyog Portal - average of 6 content block orders a day
- Sahyog Portal | Sahyog Portal
- Media nama | Sahyog Portal
