Now Reading: Centre cuts sensitive content takedown time to 2 hours
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Centre cuts sensitive content takedown time to 2 hours
The Centre has slashed the time given to social media platforms to remove sensitive content from 24 hours to two hours, the government announced on Thursday. The change is part of amendments…
The Story in Brief
The Centre has slashed the time given to social media platforms to remove sensitive content from 24 hours to two hours, the government announced on Thursday. The change is part of amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, made on February 10, 2026. The amendments also cut the deadline for removing unlawful information after a valid government or court notice from 36 hours to three hours. Grievance redressal time has been reduced from 72 hours to 36 hours.
Platforms with over 50 lakh users must use automated tools to proactively identify harmful content such as child sexual abuse material and rape depictions. AI-generated content, including deepfakes, must be clearly labelled with traceable metadata. The government warned that platforms failing to comply could lose legal protection under Section 79 of the IT Act and face prosecution. Business Today reports that the rules are part of ongoing engagement with Meta over content moderation.
The Indian Opinion
Critics say the two-hour deadline for takedowns is unrealistic and could pressure platforms into removing legitimate speech. But the government's focus on deepfakes and AI-generated abuse responds to genuine public alarm. The real test is enforcement: how many notices actually meet the 'valid reasoned' standard, and whether automated tools will over-censor or under-catch. Will the government publish a compliance report within a year?
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
