Strictness on digital content: Mandatory to remove posts within 3 hours, identification of AI content is also necessary.
New Delhi: The central government has further tightened content regulation for social media and digital platforms. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has published a notification amending the content regulations.
Under the new rules, if any social media post or digital content is flagged by government agencies as objectionable, misleading or harmful to society, the concerned platform will be required to remove it within three hours. Earlier this limit was 36 hours.
The government says the change was necessary to immediately control rapidly spreading fake news, propaganda and viral content on sensitive issues.
An important provision has also been added in the amended rules that now it will be mandatory to clearly identify any video, photo, audio or text created by AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Platforms and users will be required to disclose whether the content was generated using AI. According to the government, this step was taken in response to the increasing prevalence of deepfakes and AI-based fake content.
Not just the platforms, but the users too.
The new provisions place accountability not only on social media companies but also on the users who post content. If a user intentionally spreads misleading or fake AI content, then action will also be taken against him/ her.
According to government sources, this amendment is a major step toward increasing transparency and accountability in the digital space. However, some journalists’ organizations and digital rights groups have criticized it as a violation of freedom of expression and termed it as a pressure tactics on the journalists.
Following the Gazette notification, prompt compliance and legal vigilance will now become even more essential for social media platforms operating in India.
Overall, this amendment is being considered a major step by the government towards controlling the digital information system and ensuring immediate action on misleading content.
