Section 5(2) of the Act empowers the Central and State Governments to “direct that any message or class of messages to or from any person or class of persons, or relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by or transmitted or received by any telegraph, shall not be transmitted…”.

The provision permits broad state action to curb any violation of law and order. It has been used by District Magistrates to effect internet shutdowns in the past. 

Section 69A empowers the Central Government to direct“any agency of the Government or intermediary to block for access by the public or cause to be blocked for access by the public any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource”

These rules, framed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, provide for an elaborate mechanism with important safeguards for blocking individual websites on the internet.

These Rules were issued in August 2017 by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. The Rules seek to regulate the temporary suspension of telecom services due to public emergency or public safety. The authorities functioning on national or state levels are authorised to invoke such provisions to shut down the internet services if there is any emerging threat of public emergency or threat to public safety.