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News portals are not immune from defamation law. A false article — however widely indexed — is legally removable. We issue the notices that make that happen.
False news articles about you or your business ranking on Google
Article removed from portal and de-indexed from search engines
A false statement published in a news article damaging reputation constitutes criminal defamation under IPC Section 499. Editors and portals face personal criminal liability.
News portals hosting defamatory content are subject to IT Act takedown notices. Safe harbour removal compels action within the statutory period or exposes the portal to direct liability.
Press Council of India norms on responsible, accurate reporting provide additional grounds for challenging false articles through formal proceedings and editor notices.
Non-compliant portals are subject to injunctions from the appropriate High Court, creating enforceable legal obligations on their Indian operations and officers.
Analysis of the article for legal actionability: factual inaccuracies, defamatory statements, absence of right-of-reply, or breach of Press Council journalistic norms.
Notice issued to the editor, registered office, and hosting entity of the portal under IPC 499/500 and IT Act provisions, with a specific statutory compliance deadline.
If the portal does not comply, we immediately escalate to Google News removal requests and filing for a High Court injunction against the portal's Indian operations.
Article removed from portal. Google de-index request filed. Wayback Machine exclusion notice submitted. Confirmation documentation with full case file delivered.
Can you remove a news article published in good faith but containing false facts?+
Yes. Good faith is not a complete defence against defamation in India. If an article contains false statements of fact damaging your reputation, legal grounds exist for removal regardless of journalist intent. The standard is whether the statement is objectively false and damaging — not whether it was published maliciously.
What if the news portal is a large, established publication?+
Established publications are not exempt from defamation law. We have issued notices to and obtained removals from major English and regional news portals. The legal process is identical regardless of portal size — IPC 499/500 and IT Act notices create binding obligations. Larger portals often comply quickly to avoid reputational and legal exposure to their own editors.
Can an accurate article be removed if it is now outdated?+
Potentially yes, through the Right to Be Forgotten pathway. If the article concerns a matter legally resolved, acquitted, or no longer relevant to public interest, RTbF-based petitions provide a route to removal or anonymisation. This is an evolving area of Indian law where RepuLex has active case experience.
How long does news article removal take?+
Most portals comply within 7–21 days of receiving a formal legal notice. Reluctant portals may require High Court proceedings, adding 30–90 days. We initiate escalation immediately upon non-compliance with no delay in pursuing the next available legal route.
Can you remove the Google cached version after the article is deleted?+
Yes. Once the article is removed from the source portal, we file Google cache removal and de-index requests. We also submit Wayback Machine exclusion notices. All versions — live, cached, archived — are addressed as part of the standard removal process.
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