India mandates social media platforms to remove unlawful content faster
Big update: Social media platforms in India must remove unlawful content within 3 hours of receiving an official takedown order or notification (reduced from 36 hours).
Platforms also need to take down nonconsensual intimate images within 2 hours, and prominently (and where required, permanently) label synthetically generated audio-visual content (deepfakes), excluding routine cosmetic or efficiency edits so it's clear what's real and what's not.
If companies don't follow these rules, they could lose legal protections.
Concerns over hasty removals
With over 1 billion internet users in India, these changes aim to fight misinformation, deepfakes, and online abuse more quickly.
But some digital rights groups worry the tight deadlines might lead platforms to take down too much content without proper checks.
Still, the government says quick action is key for keeping people safe online, especially as AI tools get smarter and faster at spreading fake stuff.