India has intensified social media regulation, ordering the removal of illegal content within 3 hours, pressuring Meta, YouTube, and X amid criticism over impacts on online freedom.
The Indian government announced tougher social media oversight, issuing a new rule requiring online platforms to remove illegal content within 3 hours of notification, down from the previous 36 hours. This tightening of regulations may place significant pressure on global tech giants such as Meta, YouTube, and X.
This new regulation amends the IT Rules 2021, which previously sparked conflicts between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and various foreign tech companies. The updated rules came into effect on 20 February.
The measure reinforces India's reputation as one of the countries with the strictest online content regulation globally, while social media platforms must balance legal compliance with concerns over state censorship in a market with over one billion internet users.
However, the Indian government has not officially explained why it shortened the content removal timeframe to just 3 hours.
Experts say this is nearly impossible to implement in practice. Akash Karmakar, a partner at the law firm Panag & Babu specializing in technology law, noted that the requirement is practically unfeasible.
"It is almost impossible for social media companies to remove content within 3 hours. This rule appears to be based on assumptions that disregard factual considerations or operational realities," he said.
Over the years, India has granted many government officials the authority to order the removal of online content, a practice often criticized by digital rights groups and leading to conflicts with tech companies, including Elon Musk's X.
Meta, owner of Facebook, declined to comment on the rule changes, while X and Google, owner of YouTube, have not responded or commented on the matter.
Transparency reports from various platforms indicate that India has issued thousands of content removal orders in recent years. Meta disclosed that in the first half of 2025, it restricted access to over 28,000 pieces of content in India at the government's request.
India's IT law empowers authorities to order the removal of content deemed illegal under any national law, including those related to national security and public order.
Besides content removal, the amended rules have eased the original requirement that platforms label AI-generated content covering at least 10% of the material, changing it to a clear indication that the content is AI-generated instead.
:sourcechannelnewsasia
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