Social media giants face a compliance race as India slashes the deadline for removing unlawful content to 3 hours.
The Indian government has thrown a massive challenge at global tech giants. In a bold move to tighten its grip on the internet, authorities have announced that social media platforms must now remove "unlawful content" within just three hours of being notified.
This new directive, which kicks off on February 20, is a drastic shift from the previous 36-hour window.
For companies like Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, this creates a high-stakes compliance race in a country with over a billion internet users.
Legal experts and tech insiders are already sounding the alarm. Many argue that a three-hour deadline is "practically impossible" to meet, as it leaves almost no time for companies to review whether a government request is legitimate or an attempt at censorship.
While the government did not provide a specific reason for the sudden rush, the move solidifies India’s reputation as one of the world’s most aggressive regulators of digital speech.
In early 2025 alone, Meta reportedly restricted over 28,000 pieces of content following government orders.
Beyond the ticking clock, the updated IT rules also touched on Artificial Intelligence. Instead of a previously proposed strict rule requiring AI labels to cover 10% of a post, the government now mandates that all AI-generated content must be "prominently labeled."
As the deadline approaches, the tech world is watching closely. The big question remains: can Silicon Valley keep up with New Delhi’s demands, or will this lead to a fresh wave of legal battles over free speech and digital rights?
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments