Content Takedown Rules: The Ministry of Electronics and IT has amended the IT Rules (2021), reducing the time limit for removing objectionable content from 36 hours to just three hours. The government’s aim is to prevent the rapid spread of deepfakes and misinformation.
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New Takedown Rules: The Indian government has made significant changes to the rules regarding social media content, threatening a crisis for the country’s creator economy. The Ministry of Electronics and IT has amended the IT Rules (2021) and reduced the time limit for removing objectionable content from 36 hours to just three hours. The government’s goal is to prevent the rapid spread of deepfakes and misinformation, but creators fear that such a short timeframe will increase the likelihood of errors and could ruin their efforts. Let’s explain the new 3-hour rule.
What is the 3-hour ‘takedown’ rule?
According to the new rules, if a complaint is received regarding content or it is found to violate the rules, social media platforms must remove it within three hours. This rule has been specifically introduced to curb AI-created deepfakes, pornographic content, and content that is dangerous to society.
What are creators worried about?
Professionals like creators Ekta Makhijani and Akanksha Komirelli believe this deadline is too short. According to them, automated systems often misinterpret legitimate content. For example, parenting videos or breastfeeding education are often blocked, raising the risk of misreporting.
If a notice arrives at 2 a.m., how can a small creator respond within three hours? While large brands have legal teams, small creators often handle everything on their own. Furthermore, if a video is accidentally removed during a brand campaign, the creator could face significant financial losses and legal disputes.
The Crisis on Language and Satire
India is a diverse country with dozens of languages. Experts say that AI systems often fail to understand regional languages, satire, or parody. According to Ritesh Ujjwal, co-founder of Kofluence, a Tamil or Marathi satire video may be deemed inappropriate by the system and removed. By the time it is reconsidered, the video may have lost its relevance.
The New Challenge of AI Labeling
Regulations now mandate the use of an “AI Label” on content using AI. Fashion and lifestyle creators fear this will spoil the aesthetics of their videos. Furthermore, if social media platforms reduce the reach of videos with these labels, it will become difficult for creators to reach out.
Agencies Come to the Rescue
In light of the changing regulations, agencies like Kofluence and Chatrbox have come forward to help creators. They are creating systems that:
- Allow videos to undergo legal scrutiny before they are uploaded.
- Creators can be made aware of the new regulations.
- Options like insurance can be considered to cover campaign losses.
Overall, the new regulations could usher in a “remove first, then ask” era in the content world, which is fine from a security perspective, but poses a significant challenge to creative freedom and the creator economy.
