Reddit and India's IT Rules: Blocking Orders and Section 69A

India's Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, expanded obligations on online intermediaries, including grievance mechanisms, compliance officers, and rapid removal of flagged content, layered on top of Section 69A of the IT Act, which empowers the government to order content blocked in the interests of sovereignty, security, public order, and friendly relations with foreign states.

A defining feature of the regime is its opacity: blocking orders under Section 69A are largely executive-driven and subject to confidentiality requirements, meaning users often cannot see why content or sites are restricted. Legal commentators have long questioned the constitutionality of this framework, particularly after the Supreme Court's Shreya Singhal v. Union of India judgment narrowed permissible online speech restrictions.

Reddit was caught up in this environment through reports of intermittent ISP-level blocking. Users on some Indian networks reported that Reddit, alongside other sites, became inaccessible at various points, though the confidential nature of blocking orders made it difficult to confirm the specific legal basis or scope.

In February 2026, India further tightened the regime by notifying amendments introducing a three-hour deadline for removing certain flagged unlawful content and mandatory labelling for AI-generated material, increasing compliance pressure on platforms like Reddit operating in one of the world's largest internet markets.