India’s government said on Tuesday that social media companies will be required to take down unlawful content within three hours of being notified, significantly tightening an earlier 36-hour deadline and raising the compliance burden on global technology firms such as Meta, YouTube and X.
The changes amend India’s Information Technology rules introduced in 2021, regulations that have frequently placed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government at odds with international technology companies over issues ranging from content moderation to free expression. Officials said the revised timeline is aimed at strengthening user safety and ensuring quicker action against harmful or illegal online material.
Under the amended rules, platforms must respond to official takedown notices within three hours, a move that could require companies to expand their moderation teams and automate parts of their response systems. Industry executives have previously argued that shorter timelines increase the risk of over-removal, particularly in a country as linguistically diverse as India, where content moderation often requires local context.
The updated regulations also modify proposed requirements on labelling artificial intelligence-generated content. An earlier draft had suggested that AI-generated material should be clearly marked across 10% of its surface area or duration. The revised rules soften that proposal, requiring instead that such content be “prominently labelled,” without specifying size or placement.
The labelling provision is part of a broader effort by the government to address the growing influence of generative AI tools, which can create realistic images, videos and text that are difficult to distinguish from human-produced content. Officials have expressed concerns about the use of AI-generated material in misinformation campaigns, deepfakes and political messaging.
The IT rules introduced in 2021 require social media platforms to appoint local compliance officers, respond to user grievances, and remove content deemed unlawful under Indian law. Several global companies have previously raised concerns about the rules, warning they could undermine user privacy and restrict freedom of speech. Some provisions have also been challenged in Indian courts.
Technology firms including Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, Google’s YouTube and Elon Musk-owned X have not yet publicly responded to the latest amendments. Analysts say the three-hour deadline may be particularly challenging outside standard business hours, increasing pressure on companies to maintain round-the-clock monitoring systems.
The Indian government has defended the changes as necessary to keep pace with the speed at which harmful content spreads online. Officials argue that quicker takedowns are essential in cases involving public order, national security or harm to individuals.
The amendments are expected to come into effect following formal notification, with further guidance likely to be issued to platforms on implementation.
