- The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sent a missive to the online encyclopaedia’s parent, asking why it should not be treated as a content publisher instead of an Intermediary under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
- Content publisher is directly liable for legal challenges against its content.
- The Delhi High Court ordered the Wikimedia Foundation to unmask the identities of the individual people who made edits to ANI’s Wikipedia page in the ANI vs Wikimedia Foundation case.
| Aspect | Intermediary | Content Publisher |
| Definition | Entities that store, receive, or transmit third-party information. | Entities that produce, edit, or publish original content. |
| Criteria | Must not exercise editorial control or create content directly. | Exercise control over platform content and participate in content creation. |
| Liability Shield | Protected from liability for third-party content. | Fully accountable for all hosted content. |
| Due Diligence | Must prevent illegal content and comply with IT Rules. | Must comply with laws and are directly liable for defamatory, inaccurate, or unlawful content. |
| Penalization | Reclassification as publishers for failing standards, leading to exposure to criminal liabilities. | Criminal penalties for content violations, such as defamation or misinformation, due to editorial control. |
Dig Deeper: Read about important provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000
