Government Slashes Takedown Time to 3 Hours, Tightens Grip on AI Content on Social Media

New Delhi | 10 Feb 2026 : The government has significantly tightened rules for social media platforms, cutting the time given to remove unlawful content from 36 hours to just 3 hours once it is flagged by authorities. The new order, issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will come into effect from February 20, 2026. The move is aimed at faster action against harmful and misleading content circulating online, especially material created using artificial intelligence.

Along with the reduced deadline, the government has brought AI-generated and synthetic content clearly under the ambit of existing IT laws. Amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 now formally recognise AI-created or altered material. Such content will be treated like any other information while deciding whether it violates Indian laws, ensuring that misuse of new technologies does not escape regulation.

The updated rules also make it compulsory for platforms to label AI-generated content clearly so that users can easily identify it. Where possible, companies must also embed permanent metadata or identifiers to help trace the origin of such material. According to the notification, “Synthetically generated information means audio, visual or audio-visual information which is artificially or algorithmically created, generated, modified or altered using a computer resource, in a manner that such information appears to be real, authentic or true and depicts or portrays any individual or event in a manner that is, or is likely to be perceived as indistinguishable from a natural person or real-world event.” Routine edits, accessibility-related changes and genuine educational or design work have been kept outside this definition.

The government has also directed platforms to actively use automated tools to block illegal AI content. This includes material linked to deception, deepfakes, sexual exploitation, non-consensual content, fake documents, child abuse, explosives or impersonation. By tightening timelines and clearly defining responsibilities, the government aims to curb the misuse of AI on social media while making platforms more accountable for what they host.