Government empowers I4C to take down illegal online content

To strengthen India’s fight against cybercrime, the central government has designated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) as the official agency to notify law enforcement authorities about unlawful activities in cyberspace. This move has been outlined in a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on March 13, 2024, while empowering the I4C to play a more central role in tackling online threats.

Established by the MHA, the I4C functions as the national focal point for cybercrime coordination and fosters collaboration among various law enforcement agencies. It works to develop a comprehensive framework for combating cyber threats.

This designation under the Information Technology Act, 2000, grants the I4C the authority to identify and report instances where information, data, or communication channels residing on platforms controlled by intermediaries (like social media companies) are being used for criminal activities.

An official notification said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 79 of the Information Technology Act 2000, Central Government being the appropriate government hereby designate the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C),  to be the agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs to perform the functions under clause (b) of sub-section (3) of section 79 of Information Technology Act, 2000 and to notify the instances of information, data or communication link residing in or connected to a computer resource controlled by the intermediary being used to commit the unlawful act.”