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In response to rising incidents of social media abuse in India, the central government has implemented new rules for digital platforms. Under these guidelines, major social media platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube will now have to take swift action.

Time limit for objectionable content

According to the new rules, if sensitive or harmful content is found on a platform, it will now be removed within 120 minutes (2 hours), rather than 24 hours. The government believes this time limit is necessary to curb the rapid spread of misinformation in the digital world.

New rule of action in 2 hours

Previously, social media companies had more time to respond to user complaints, but this time will be reduced after the new rules come into effect. If content is deemed sensitive, it will be mandatory to remove it within two hours.

List of content removal cases

The new guidelines focus on matters that could threaten a person’s reputation or safety, including sharing private photos or videos without permission, deepfake videos created by AI, and content declared illegal by court order.

New transparency on AI-generated content

The government has not only changed the rules for removing content, but has also mandated new transparency for AI-generated content. If a creator creates content using AI, they must clearly state that the content was created by AI.

Legal pressure on big tech companies

Failure to comply with these rules risks losing social media companies’ “safe harbor” protections. If a platform fails to remove objectionable content within the stipulated timeframe, it could face civil and criminal action.

Impact on users

The implementation of these new rules could significantly alter the social media experience for ordinary users. Fake news and controversial posts will be removed faster than ever before, making social media platforms safer. However, to take swift action, companies may have to resort to AI-based moderation, which could also impact legitimate posts.