India plans stricter laws for Google, Meta, X

India has proposed sweeping changes to its information technology laws that would make government advisories legally binding for major internet platforms such as Google, Meta, and X.

The proposal, announced on Monday, would mark a significant shift in how online companies are regulated in the country, tightening compliance requirements for global tech giants operating in one of the world’s largest digital markets, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Under the planned rules, platforms could lose their “safe harbour” protection — a legal shield that limits liability for user-generated content — if they fail to comply with directives issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Currently, government advisories on issues such as deepfake detection, content moderation, and takedown requests are treated as guidance rather than enforceable law. The new framework would change that by giving such instructions legal force.

The move comes amid a broader push by the Indian government to tighten oversight of online content. Earlier this year, authorities reduced the time allowed for platforms to remove flagged content from 36 hours to just three hours, and introduced stricter rules around artificial intelligence-generated content and deepfakes.

The government says the proposed changes are aimed at “strengthening enforceability” and improving legal clarity. Public feedback on the draft rules is open until April 14.

Google, Meta, and X have not yet publicly responded to the proposal.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada