How do I approach the Grievance Appellate Committee if a platform rejects my complaint?

Question

I complained to a social media platform's grievance officer about a harmful post but my complaint was rejected or ignored. What is my next step? I would like to understand which provision governs this, what it entitles me to, and how long I have before the remedy lapses. I also want to know whether I need a lawyer for this or can do it myself.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

In India, the answer to "How do I approach the Grievance Appellate Committee if a platform rejects my complaint?" turns on IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, Rule 3A, Information Technology Act 2000, Section 79, IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, Rule 3(2) and Constitution of India, Article 226. The points below set out the position and then what to do about it, in the order it should be done.

Rule 3A of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 establishes one or more Grievance Appellate Committees where a user dissatisfied with the resolution of a complaint by an intermediary's Grievance Officer can file an appeal.

The appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee must ordinarily be filed within thirty days of receiving the Grievance Officer's decision or of the expiry of the response period.

Intermediaries are bound by the Grievance Appellate Committee's order and must comply with it, failing which they risk losing the safe harbour protection available under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act 2000.

Rule 3(2) of the same Rules requires the intermediary's own Grievance Officer to acknowledge a complaint within twenty-four hours and dispose of it within fifteen days, and non-compliance is itself a ground for escalation.

If the Grievance Appellate Committee also fails to provide relief, the aggrieved person can move the jurisdictional High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India by way of a writ petition.

Practical steps: 1) Keep proof of your original complaint and the platform's response or non-response; 2) File an online appeal on the Grievance Appellate Committee portal within thirty days; 3) Attach screenshots of the offending content and the timeline of your correspondence with the platform; 4) Consult a lawyer for a writ petition if the Committee's order is not complied with.

If the other side has already issued a notice, filed a case or set a deadline, treat the matter as time-sensitive — remedies under IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, Rule 3A carry limitation periods, and unexplained delay weakens an otherwise strong case. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in cyber law.