‘Community Notes Is Publishing, Not Intermediary Work’: Nishikant Dubey Seeks Publisher Tax On X India

Nishikant Dubey said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT has recommended that X India’s Community Notes amounts to publishing, not intermediary activity.

A file photo of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey (PTI)

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has unanimously conveyed to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology that the Community Notes feature on X cannot be classified as an intermediary activity.

According to Dubey, the committee believes the function resembles publishing, which may require regulatory and taxation treatment similar to publishers.

“Our committee, that is, the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, has unanimously told the Ministry of IT and Electronics, the Government of India, that X India’s job is community note publishing, not that of an intermediary,” Dubey wrote on X.

He added that social media platforms may be required to either discontinue Community Notes or comply with publisher-level taxation obligations.

Dubey referred to Australian regulatory frameworks while arguing that social media platforms should comply with similar taxation norms in India if their services qualify as publishing activity.

“Otherwise, as per Australia’s law, we will have to pay the publishers’ tax,” Dubey stated.

In a separate post, he questioned why Community Notes operates without tax obligations comparable to publishers, saying, “Why all the fuss about Community Notes, bro? X India keeps printing notes and doesn’t pay any tax to the Indian government – what kind of justice is this?”

He further argued that the platform should obtain a publisher’s licence and contribute significant tax revenue annually if it continues operating Community Notes.

“Like Australian law, they should get a publishers’ license in India and keep paying 25,000 crore in tax to the Indian government every year, otherwise shut down Community Notes,” Dubey wrote.

DOCUMENT REFERENCES AUSTRALIAN INTERMEDIARY FRAMEWORK

Dubey also attached a document referencing intermediary frameworks in Australia’s justice system.

The document explains how intermediaries are trained professionals who facilitate communication for vulnerable individuals, particularly in criminal justice processes such as sexual offence and homicide cases.

The document notes that intermediary programs operate across multiple Australian jurisdictions, including New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, with legislative provisions governing eligibility criteria and scope of services.

It also highlights that the establishment of intermediary schemes in Australia was influenced by recommendations from The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, as well as law reform commission reports advocating improved access to justice for vulnerable witnesses.

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