Meta, Google and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment (File) | Photo credit: REUTERS
India proposed changes to its IT Act on Tuesday to make recommendations and clarifications legally binding on internet platforms such as Meta, Google and X, the latest in a series of tougher compliance requirements for tech giants.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government this year shortened the timeline for platforms to remove content flagged by authorities to three hours, from 36 hours previously, and imposed new obligations on AI-generated content and deepfakes.
Currently, the Department of IT platform recommendations on issues ranging from deep false labeling to content-stopping practices have functioned as guidelines without explicit legal implications.
In new proposed rules from Monday, the government said failure to comply with recommendations or guidelines issued by the IT ministry would be considered a breach of the safe harbor, a legal shield that protects platforms from liability for content posted by their users.
The changes were proposed to “enhance the enforceability” of the guidelines and “improve legal certainty”, the ministry said in a notice inviting public feedback until April 14.
Meta, Google and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Published – 31 March 2026 09:33 IST
