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Legal Framework for News Article Removal in India

Online news portals in India are regulated under multiple legal frameworks. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 classify digital news media as "publishers of news and current affairs content" under Part III, subjecting them to a three-tier regulatory mechanism. Additionally, news portals operating as intermediaries fall under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000, which provides conditional safe harbour — a protection that is forfeited when the intermediary fails to act on a court order or government direction, or fails to observe the due diligence the Rules require.

Defamatory news articles are actionable under both civil and criminal law. BNS 2023 s.356 (formerly IPC Sections 499 and 500) defines and penalises criminal defamation, while the tort of defamation under civil law entitles the aggrieved party to damages and injunctive relief. The Press Council of India's Norms of Journalistic Conduct require factual accuracy and the right of reply — violations of these norms strengthen the legal case for removal.

RepuLex uses these overlapping legal provisions to build comprehensive removal cases. Rather than relying on a single legal ground, we typically cite multiple provisions — IT Act intermediary obligations, defamation law, and journalistic ethics violations — to maximise compliance pressure on the publishing portal.

How RepuLex Removes News Articles From Online Portals

Our process begins with forensic documentation of the article — capturing the content, URL, publication date, author details, and the portal's legal entity information. We then conduct a legal analysis to identify every applicable provision of law that the article violates. This multi-ground approach is critical because news portals are more likely to comply when faced with notices citing multiple legal violations rather than a single complaint.

Formal legal notices go out through our partner law firm, under an advocate's signature, simultaneously to the editorial team, the legal department of the publication, and the domain registrar or hosting provider. Under Section 79 read with the IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021, the platform must resolve the complaint within its statutory deadline, and must act on a court order within three hours. For larger portals with dedicated legal teams, we engage in direct legal negotiations, presenting documented evidence of factual inaccuracies or defamatory statements.

When a portal declines, the matter escalates to court. Our partner law firm files, in the client's name, a suit before the competent civil court with an application for an interim injunction under Order XXXIX of the Code of Civil Procedure, which can result in an order directing the portal to remove the article pending final adjudication, and handles the litigation from filing to enforcement.

Types of News Articles We Handle

RepuLex addresses a wide spectrum of problematic news content. This includes factually false reporting where the article contains demonstrably incorrect statements of fact — not mere opinions, but verifiable falsehoods that damage reputation. We also handle cases involving outdated articles where the underlying matter has been resolved (charges dropped, cases acquitted, settlements reached) but the article continues to rank prominently on search engines without any update.

We specialise in removing planted or paid negative press — articles published on lesser-known portals as part of reputation attack campaigns. These "pay-to-publish" portals often lack proper editorial oversight and are used by competitors, disgruntled employees, or extortionists to place damaging content that then ranks on Google. Our legal approach is particularly effective against such portals, as they typically lack the editorial safeguards that legitimate publications maintain.

Privacy-violating news content is another significant category. Articles that disclose personal information such as medical conditions, family matters, financial details, or other private information without consent can be challenged under the right to privacy recognised by the Supreme Court. We also handle cases where news articles identify victims of crimes in violation of statutory protections.

Dealing With Mainstream vs Independent News Portals

Mainstream news portals such as Times of India, NDTV, Indian Express, and similar publications have established legal departments and editorial policies. Removal from these platforms requires a more nuanced approach — engaging their legal teams with well-documented legal notices, providing evidence of factual errors, and in some cases, negotiating for corrections, retractions, or the addition of the complainant's response to the article.

Independent and smaller portals present different challenges. Many operate without proper editorial oversight, publish unverified content, and lack dedicated legal teams. For these portals, the IT Act intermediary obligations are particularly effective — the statutory grievance deadlines under IT Rules 2021 create immediate pressure. When the portal itself is unresponsive, we escalate to the hosting provider or domain registrar, who also carry intermediary obligations under Indian law.

Regardless of the portal size, RepuLex maintains a documented trail of every notice sent, response received, and action taken. This documentation is critical both for court proceedings and for ensuring that the removal is legally defensible and permanent.

After Removal: De-Indexing and Monitoring

Removing the article from the news portal is only the first step. The article's cached version and indexed URL may continue to appear in Google search results for days or even weeks after removal from the source. RepuLex handles the complete cycle — after confirming removal from the portal, we file removal requests with Google to de-index the URL, clear cached versions, and remove any Google News entries associated with the article.

We also monitor for republication and syndication. News articles are frequently syndicated across multiple portals, and removing the original does not automatically remove syndicated copies. Our team identifies all instances of the article across the web and addresses each one through appropriate legal channels. Post-removal monitoring continues for 90 days to ensure no resurfacing occurs.