Version 1.0 | Effective Date: 02 July 2026 | Times Internet Limited
1. Purpose & Scope
These Editorial Guidelines govern all content published on mylifexp. com across its verticals — Health, Travel, Parenting, Style, Relationship, Beauty, Automobile, Technology, Astrology, and Food & Recipes — including staff-written, freelance, syndicated, and sponsored content. All contributors, editors, and partners producing content for MyLifeXP are required to comply with these guidelines as a condition of publication. These Editorial Guidelines establish the minimum editorial and legal standards applicable to publication on MyLifeXP. They supplement, and do not replace applicable law, internal company policies and editorial judgment.
2. Applicable Legal Framework (India)
MyLifeXP content is published subject to, and must remain compliant with, the following Indian legal and regulatory frameworks:
Information Technology Act, 2000 & IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 — Require compliance with applicable Due diligence obligations, for digital publishers, including grievance redressal mechanism, lawful content moderation, and compliance with content takedown within given timelines.
Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA) — Applies to the collection, use, storage and processing of any reader data collection, including registrations, comments, newsletter sign-ups, and other interactive quizzes and features.
Copyright Act, 1957 — Protects literary, artistic and photographic works. Governs image and text sourcing and the limits of permissible fair use. and require that all text, images, videos and other third-party content must be lawfully obtained through a license, permission or other lawful means, attributed where required, or otherwise used in accordance with copyright law.
Consumer Protection Act, 2019 & CCPA Guidelines on Misleading Advertisements — Critical for Health, Beauty, Automobile, and all sponsored/affiliate content.
Consumer Protection (Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements) Guidelines, 2022 and the ASCI Code for Self-Regulation of Advertising – Regulates misleading advertisements, endorsements, product claims, affiliate content and sponsored content.
Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 — Directly relevant to Astrology and Style content that references remedies, predictions, or cures. Prohibits advertisements and claims relating to the diagnosis, cure, mitigation or prevention of specified diseases and conditions. Editorial content must not publish unsubstantiated veterinary, medical or therapeutic claims or present anecdotal remedies as established fact, particularly where such content could reasonably be perceived as promoting specific products or treatments.
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Relevant to Automobile content making claims about mileage, safety ratings, or compliance features, vehicle registration, licensing, road safety, statutory compliance and legal obligations applicable to motor vehicles and road users. Editorial content making claims regarding vehicle specifications, fuel efficiency, emissions, safety ratings, crash performance or compliance features be based on official manufacturer specifications or recognised certification, testing or rating bodies, including ARAI, BIS and Bharat NCAP/Global NCAP, as applicable.
Press Council of India Norms of Journalistic Conduct — Persuasive (not binding); referenced as good editorial practice, particularly for any current-affairs adjacent content. Sets recognised standards of ethical journalism relating to accuracy, fairness, privacy, responsible reporting and corrections.
Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 — Relevant to framing and imagery in Relationship and Beauty content. Prohibits the indecent representation of women in any publication, advertisement, writing, image or other material. Editorial content, including headlines, images, videos, illustrations and promotional material, must not depict women in a derogatory, objectifying, sexually explicit or stereotypical manner, or otherwise undermine their dignity or modesty.
3. Category-Specific Standards
3.1 Style & Astrology
• Content covering mythology, religious figures, temple lore, or astrological predictions must carry the standing disclaimer set out below.
Mandatory Disclaimer Text: "This article is based on astrological or traditional beliefs and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial, medical, or professional advice."
• Predictive or remedy-style claims (planetary effects, zodiac-based financial or relationship forecasts) must be framed as belief or tradition, not presented as fact or guaranteed outcomes.
• No content may disparage any religion, deity, or community. Comparative "my belief vs. yours" framing is prohibited.
• No claims of guaranteed financial, health, or relationship outcomes may be tied to zodiac or planetary predictions.
3.2 Parenting
• Content in this vertical is read as guidance for and about minors and is held to a stricter standard than general lifestyle content, consistent with platform-wide child-safety policy. No image, video, audio recording or personally identifiable information of a real, identifiable minor (including name, photograph, school, location or other identifying details) must be published without verifiable consent of the child's parent or lawful guardian, except where publication is otherwise permitted by applicable law or is demonstrably in the child's best interests. Editorial teams must exercise heightened caution to protect the privacy, dignity and safety of children.
Parenting content, quizzes, contests, forms or interactive features that collect or process a child's personal data—including information such as name, age, date of birth, birth time or place (including for astrology-related features)— must comply with the enhanced requirements applicable to children's personal data under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, including obtaining verifiable parental consent where required and ensuring such data is not processed for behavioural monitoring, targeted advertising or other prohibited purposes
• Spiritual or ritual-based content addressing a child's future or wellbeing must carry the same belief-based disclaimer as Style & Astrology content — no implied guarantees about a child's outcomes tied to ritual practice.
• No content may be framed as medical or developmental advice without citing a qualified source (pediatrician, child psychologist, or peer-reviewed study).
3.3 Health
• No specific medical claims, dosages, or "cures" may be published without citing a qualified source (a doctor or peer-reviewed study). Even where sourced, such content must be written as general information and not as personalised medical advice.
• Every Health article must carry the mandatory disclaimer set out below.
Mandatory Disclaimer Text: "This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Do not ignore or delay professional medical advice because of information in this article "
• Sensitive topics (mental health, stress, digital wellbeing) must include helpline information and avoid triggering detail, consistent with platform-wide wellbeing policy.
• Images, case studies or personal accounts involving real, identifiable patients (including before/after photographs) must not be published without the patient’s informed consent; identifying medical details must be handled with the same care as identifying details of minors under Section 3.2 (Parenting).
3.4 Relationship
• Advice content must avoid absolute gendered generalizations stated as fact; such content must be reframed as perspective or opinion, not universal truth, to reduce defamation and stereotyping risk.
• Content must not use diagnostic or clinical language (e.g., “you have depression,” “this is narcissistic abuse”) to characterize a reader’s personal situation; such content must be framed as general information, not personalized diagnosis or therapy.
• Content addressing real-life relationship abuse, assault or crime narratives must not include details identifying survivors, consistent with applicable law and Press Council norms.
• Content drawing on mythology or scripture (e.g., epics, scripture-based teachings) as relationship guidance must be framed as interpretive commentary, not literal instruction.
• No content may normalize manipulation, coercion, or non-consensual behavior.
3.5 Beauty
• No claims equating home remedies or natural ingredients to clinical treatments (e.g., comparisons to prescription products) may be published without citing the specific study or qualified source relied upon.
• Content referencing medical or cosmetic procedures (e.g., injectables, retinoids, laser treatments) must cite a dermatologist or other qualified source.
3.6 Automobile & Technology
• Factual claims (specifications, capacity, performance figures, technology adoption statistics) must cite a source.
• No unverified brand or product comparisons may be presented as fact. Product reviews involving free or gifted products or services must prominently disclose that fact, in addition to any required sponsored-content disclosure. Such reviews must remain editorially independent and comply with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Consumer Protection (Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements) Guidelines, 2022 and the ASCI Code.
3.7 Travel & Food & Recipes
• Factual accuracy is required for destination information and recipe content.
• Health-related claims about food or ingredients must meet the same sourcing standard as Health content.
3.8 Defamation & Reputational Risk, Sub Judice & Court Reporting
• Content must clearly distinguish between “accused”, ”alleged”, “suspected”, “under investigation” “charged”, “convicted/guilty” and “acquitted/not guilty” when describing a named individual or organisation. Material factual claims or allegations concerning an identifiable individual or organisation must, wherever practicable, be verified using at least two independent and credible sources prior to publication. Where verification is not practicable, the content must either not be published or must clearly state the limitations on verification.
• Subjects of critical coverage must be given a genuine opportunity to respond before publication, wherever feasible (right of reply).
• No fabricated quotes, composite characters, or reconstructed dialogue may be presented as fact.
• No commentary that could prejudice an ongoing trial or amount to contempt of court; content must report only what is on the court record. Court reporting must accurately reflect the court record, pleadings, orders, judgments or verified proceedings. Headlines and summaries must not overstate what the court has held or imply guilt, liability or judicial findings where none exist.
3.9 Sponsored Content, Affiliate Links & Advertorials
• All sponsored/branded content must be labelled “Sponsored,” “Advertorial,” or “In partnership with” — with no ambiguity — per the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules and ASCI guidelines.
• Affiliate links (product recommendations, “best of” lists for food, accessories, grooming products, etc.) must carry an affiliate disclosure statement.
• Editorial and commercial content must remain visually and structurally distinguishable. All material connections or paid promotions must be appropriately disclosed; all sponsored content, affiliate articles, product reviews, endorsements, influencer collaborations and branded content and promotional content must use labels such as 'Advertisement', 'Sponsored', 'Paid Partnership' or '#Ad/#Sponsored', as appropriate, and must comply with applicable disclosure requirements under law and the ASCI Code.
3.10 Influencer & Celebrity Content
• No unverified claims about a real person’s private life.
• Content must not imply a celebrity’s or influencer’s endorsement of a product or service without confirmed authorization.
3.11 User-Generated Content, Quizzes & Comments
• Comment moderation policy must screen for hate speech, harassment, defamatory statements, and content violating the IT Rules, 2021 (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code).
• Interactive quizzes (e.g. astrology, relationship, parenting quizzes) that collect personal data must carry a clear consent notice at the point of collection, stating what is collected and how it will be used, per the DPDPA, 2023.
• Comment sections must be subject to appropriate content moderation measures, including automated tools and/or human review, to identify and address hate speech, harassment, defamatory or other prohibited content consistent with Section 7 (Prohibited Content). An accessible mechanism must be available for readers to report objectionable content for review.
4. Sourcing & Attribution
• No plagiarism. Syndicated wire content must meet a minimum rewrite/paraphrase standard.
• AI-assisted content must be human fact-checked prior to publishing. AI involvement must be disclosed in accordance with internal policy.
• Images must be licensed or stock-cleared. Unauthorized use of copyrighted photography or religious iconography without rights clearance is prohibited.
5. Grievance Redressal
Mandatory under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021:
• A designated Grievance Officer must be appointed, with name and contact details published on the site.
• Takedown or court-order requests received at the editorial desk must be routed to Legal for review and action; editorial staff must not action such requests unilaterally.
• Complaints must be acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved within 15 days. All complaints, notices, takedown requests, moderation decisions and actions taken must be documented and retained for a minimum period of 180 days, or such longer period as may be required under applicable law or internal record retention policies.
• Content flagged under a court or government order must be taken down within 36 hours unless specified for immediate or in a shorter time period specified under such order.
6. Corrections Policy
• Factual errors must be corrected promptly, with a visible correction note and timestamp.
• Silent edits that materially change a published claim are not permitted.
• Content identified by editors, moderators or automated monitoring systems as prima facie unlawful, misleading, defamatory or otherwise violative of these Guidelines must be escalated immediately and reviewed within 24 hours.
7. Prohibited Content
The following categories of content are prohibited across all MyLifeXP verticals:
• Hate speech and misinformation
• Content promoting self-harm
• Defamatory statements about identifiable individuals
• Unverified medical, financial, or legal advice presented as fact
• Content exploiting or targeting children with unverified claims about their future or wellbeing or collecting or using children's personal data in violation of applicable law.
• Plagiarized material
Approved for publication as the governing editorial policy for mylifexp. com.
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