India's Minister Urges Big Tech to Follow Laws; Tightens Content Rules
February 18, 2026
India’s Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday that big tech giants like Google’s YouTube, Meta, X, and Netflix must obey India’s constitutional laws. This statement came a week after India made its content takedown rules stricter. "It’s very important for the multinationals to understand the cultural context of the country in which they are operating," Vaishnaw said during the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The new rules require social media firms to remove unlawful content within three hours after notification. Previously, they had 36 hours. This tighter deadline will be a big challenge for companies like Meta, YouTube, and X. Vaishnaw also stressed, "There is a need for much stronger regulation on deepfakes," and added that talks with the industry have already started. Worldwide, governments are demanding faster takedowns and more responsibility from social media firms. In line with this, Spain has asked prosecutors to investigate X, Meta, and TikTok for spreading AI-made child sexual abuse material. European regulators are increasing pressure on big tech over harmful and illegal content.
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India
Big tech
Content takedown
Social media
Ai
Regulation
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