India tightens grip on social media with takedown in jiffy rule
The tighter timeline marks the latest escalation in India's efforts to control online speech, which has drawn criticism from digital rights advocates.
India's government has said social media companies would have to take down “unlawful content” within three hours of being notified about it, tightening an earlier 36-hour timeline in what could be a compliance challenge for Meta, YouTube and X.
The changes on Tuesday amend India's 2021 IT rules, which have already been a flashpoint between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and global technology companies.
The amended rules also relaxed an earlier proposal that would have required platforms to visibly label AI-generated content across 10 percent of its surface area or duration, instead mandating that such content be "prominently labelled".
The new regulations will take effect from February 20.
The tighter timeline marks the latest escalation in India's efforts to control online speech, with a takedown regime that has drawn criticism from digital rights advocates and prompted clashes with companies including Elon Musk’s X.
Facebook owner Meta declined to comment on the changes, while X and Alphabet's Google, which operates YouTube, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The rules add to mounting global pressure on social media companies to police content more aggressively, with governments from Brussels to Brasilia demanding faster takedowns and greater accountability.
India's IT rules empower the government to order the removal of content deemed “illegal” under various laws, including those related to national security, public order and sexual offences.
The country has issued thousands of takedown orders in recent years, according to platform transparency reports.
In 2021, X was involved in a tense battle with the Indian government, which has often asked it to restrict content alleging Modi’s Hindu nationalist government is trying to silence criticism, including of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Internet freedom advocates have warned that new Indian social media regulations could pose a threat to freedom of expression after New Delhi announced plans for tough new rules that could force platforms to remove content it deems objectionable.
Tech companies have to disclose the origin of a "mischievous tweet or message" if asked by an Indian court or the government.