India orders social media platforms to take down deepfakes faster | TechCrunch

"The changes, published (PDF) on Tuesday as amendments to India's 2021 IT Rules, bring deepfakes under a formal regulatory framework, mandating the labelling and traceability of synthetic audio and visual content, while also slashing compliance timelines for platforms, including a three-hour deadline for official takedown orders and a two-hour window for certain urgent user complaints. India's importance as a digital market amplifies the impact of the new rules."

"With over a billion internet users and a predominantly young population, the South Asian nation is a critical market for platforms like Meta and YouTube, making it likely that compliance measures adopted in India will influence global product and moderation practices. Under the amended rules, social media platforms that allow users to upload or share audio-visual content must require disclosures on"

"whether material is synthetically generated, deploy tools to verify those claims, and ensure that deepfakes are clearly labelled and embedded with traceable provenance data. Certain categories of synthetic content - including deceptive impersonations, non-consensual intimate imagery, and material linked to serious crimes - are barred outright in the rules. Non-compliance, particularly in cases flagged by authorities or users, can expose companies to greater legal liability by jeopardising their safe-harbour protections under Indian law."

Amendments to India's 2021 IT Rules formally bring deepfakes and synthetic audio-visual content under regulation, requiring labelling and traceable provenance. Platforms must verify user disclosures and deploy tools to identify and label synthetic material. The rules impose rapid compliance timelines, including a three-hour deadline for official takedown orders and a two-hour window for certain urgent complaints. Certain synthetic content categories, such as deceptive impersonations, non-consensual intimate imagery, and material linked to serious crimes, are prohibited. Non-compliance can strip platforms of safe-harbour protections, increasing legal exposure. The measures rely heavily on automated systems and target major global platforms operating in India.

Read at TechCrunch