Parliament Committee to Evaluate Expansion of Press Council Authority Over Digital Creators

A significant regulatory shift for India’s digital media landscape is on the horizon as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology prepares to convene on November 24, 2025. The committee will assess the country’s media regulatory framework with a particular focus on expanding the Press Council of India’s mandate to include digital content creators and social media influencers.

Officials from the Press Council of India (PCI) are set to present their perspectives on the proposed expansion of the Act, which would bring influential digital voices under formal regulatory oversight for the first time in Indian history. The meeting will also feature testimonies from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), highlighting the cross-sectoral implications of these reforms.

Under the agenda “Review of implementation of laws related to all forms of media,” lawmakers will conduct a comprehensive examination of regulatory effectiveness across print, broadcast, and digital platforms. Discussions are expected to address compliance gaps, challenges posed by rapidly evolving digital content ecosystems, and the need for more robust oversight mechanisms amid growing concerns about misinformation.

Industry sources reveal that the MIB is considering substantial amendments to the Press Council Act aimed at curbing misinformation by extending PCI’s jurisdiction beyond traditional print media to encompass digital publishers, content creators, and social media influencers. A threshold based on follower count or subscriber metrics is likely to determine which digital creators would fall under the new regulatory framework. The draft amendment is anticipated to be tabled during the upcoming Parliament session.

This regulatory push aligns with the government’s ongoing efforts to increase accountability in news and news-like content creation. In 2026, authorities had already enforced the Norms of Journalistic Conduct under PCI and expanded both the Programme Code and the Information Technology Rules of 2021 to address misinformation across platforms. However, independent influencers and online content creators have thus far remained outside these regulatory structures, despite their reach and influence often rivaling traditional media outlets.

The renewed regulatory focus follows recommendations in the Standing Committee’s Twenty-Second Report, which highlighted the growing role of digital creators in spreading misinformation – sometimes for profit, sometimes for ideological purposes. The panel had previously recommended establishing a unified Media Council to oversee print, broadcast, and digital sectors, arguing that fragmented regulation was insufficient to combat sophisticated misinformation networks that leverage algorithms, sensationalism, and AI-driven content.

Stakeholders appearing before the committee described how certain creators exploit engagement-driven revenue models using clickbait and fabricated narratives to drive traffic. The report also noted instances of creators deliberately disseminating misleading content to shape public opinion or target political rivals, sometimes with organized financial backing.

The committee has expressed concern that existing penalties – including fines up to ₹25 lakh, warnings, and potential license revocation – provide inadequate deterrence. In response, they’ve proposed a graduated penalty framework that escalates from warnings and mandatory public apologies to suspensions and blocking of repeat offenders.

With AI-generated content rapidly proliferating, the committee has also recommended mandatory disclosure labels for AI-assisted material and suggested licensing requirements for creators using AI tools to publish news or analysis. This measure aims to help audiences distinguish between human journalism and synthetic or deepfake content.

Additionally, the committee has urged MIB and MeitY to collaborate closely with social media platforms on enforcement, suggesting the appointment of dedicated nodal officers in India, reassessment of safe harbor protections for intermediaries, and maintenance of public transparency reports on enforcement actions.

If implemented, these amendments would represent a historic expansion of India’s media regulatory framework, bringing the country’s vast influencer and digital creator ecosystem under statutory oversight for the first time. The upcoming Standing Committee hearing with PCI representatives is expected to significantly influence the shape and scope of this ambitious regulatory transformation.