February 10, 2026
New Delhi
India’s government has ordered social media platforms to remove unlawful content within three hours of notification, sharply reducing the earlier 36‑hour deadline. The new regulations, amending the 2021 IT rules, will take effect from February 20.
The move poses a major compliance challenge for global tech giants including Meta, YouTube, and X, as they balance operations in a market of over one billion internet users against mounting concerns over censorship.
Officials said the rules also require AI‑generated content to be “prominently labelled,” softening an earlier proposal that demanded visible labels across 10% of the content’s surface or duration.
Digital rights advocates have criticized the tighter timeline as an escalation in government control over online speech, while industry representatives warn of operational strain and potential clashes with regulators.
India’s directive underscores its position as one of the world’s most aggressive regulators of online content, intensifying the debate over free expression and state oversight in the digital sphere.
(Source – Reuters)
—Owned Source
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