Will India's 3-hour takedown rule hurt influencer earnings and deals?
What's the story
India's creator economy is in a tizzy over a new three-hour deadline for removing flagged content. The Ministry of Electronics and IT recently announced changes to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The amendment reduces the takedown window from 36 hours to just three, in a bid to tackle the rapid spread of unlawful content, especially AI-generated deepfakes and harmful material.
Creator apprehensions
Wrongful flagging could lead to major losses
The new deadline has left creators worried about the possibility of their content being wrongly reported within such a short time frame. Content creator Ekta Makhijani called the new deadline "incredibly tight," saying that if her video gets wrongly flagged during a brand campaign launch, she could lose the entire campaign window. She warned that false positives are a real risk, especially in categories like parenting content.
Business implications
Missed deliverables and contractual disputes
For creators who rely on time-sensitive brand campaigns, a wrongful removal could lead to missed deliverables, contractual disputes, and revenue losses. Akanksha Kommirelly, an influencer and founder of apparel brand 'akute,' echoed similar concerns. She pointed out that if a product campaign gets wrongly reported during a crucial launch, it could directly impact sales and brand reputation.
Rule concerns
Swift action against harmful content is good, but...
Creators like Kommirelly have no issue with swift action against genuinely harmful content but are concerned about a blanket three-hour rule across all content categories. Deepak Wadhwa, another creator, acknowledged that while the goal is to prevent harm from illegal content spreading quickly, the compressed timeline could create stress when automated systems flag content incorrectly.
Moderation challenges
India's linguistic diversity poses challenges
With India's linguistic diversity, automated moderation systems trained largely on English may struggle with regional nuances. Ritesh Ujjwal, co-founder of Kofluence, warned that a satirical Tamil video or Marathi parody could be misread and removed before context is understood. Raj Mishra, MD and CEO of Chtrbox, said the new rule incentivizes platforms to take down content first and ask questions later.
Strategy shift
Shift from reactive to preventive thinking
Suyash Lahoti, Partner at Wit Chai Group, said the rule forces creators to shift from reactive to preventive thinking. He emphasized that pre-publication checks, clearer sourcing, and avoiding gray-zone formats like impersonation or misleading lookalikes will become essential. This change in approach highlights how the new takedown rule is reshaping content strategies for creators across India.
Self-censorship risk
Potential chilling effect on content creation
The new takedown rule could also force creators to self-censor, especially those working in social commentary or advocacy. Micro and nano influencers, who lack legal representation or dedicated compliance teams, are particularly vulnerable. This potential chilling effect is another major concern stemming from the three-hour deadline for removing flagged content in India's creator economy.