How to file a GAC appeal (Grievance Appellate Committee)

If a social-media platform (Meta, YouTube, X, etc.) rejects your grievance, India's IT Rules give you a second door: the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC). This guide explains who can appeal, the 30-day window, and exactly what to submit.

When can you file a GAC appeal?

You can appeal to the GAC when a platform's Grievance Officer has either decided your complaint in a way you disagree with, or failed to respond within the statutory timeline. You must appeal within 30 days of receiving the Grievance Officer's decision.

Step-by-step process

1. File a complaint with the platform's in-app Grievance Officer and keep the ticket / reference number.
2. Wait for the decision (or for the response deadline to lapse).
3. Create an account on the official GAC portal (gac.gov.in) using the appellant's email and mobile.
4. File the appeal, attaching the original complaint reference and the platform's response.
5. Upload evidence: screenshots with URLs and timestamps, and any legal notices.
6. Track the appeal status on the portal; the GAC aims to resolve within 30 days.

What to keep ready

• The original platform complaint ID and dated screenshots of the response.
• Direct URLs of the offending content (not just screenshots).
• A short, factual description of the harm and the outcome you seek.

An appeal is only as strong as its evidence. Preserve URLs and timestamps before the content disappears.— SafeNetIndia Digital Safety Team

Need help drafting the appeal or preserving evidence correctly? Book a consultation and our team will prepare the submission with you.