New Social Media Rule: Now, any post on social media can be removed before it goes viral. The central government has implemented new rules for digital platforms, requiring companies like Instagram, X, and YouTube to act more swiftly than ever before regarding sensitive and illegal content. Many types of controversial content will now have to be removed within just two hours. New rules have also been implemented for AI-generated photos, videos, and audio. This raises the question: what will be the biggest impact of these changes on ordinary users?
The world of social media will never be the same again. Posts and videos will no longer be solely subject to public choice, but also to government-mandated deadlines and regulations. The central government’s new compliance framework for social media companies aims to quickly curb digital crime, deepfakes, and online harassment. However, it has also sparked debate about whether this will make the internet safer or tighten content monitoring.
The most significant change in the new rules is the timeframe for removing content. Previously, social media companies had up to 24 hours to take action after receiving a complaint. Now, this timeframe has been reduced to just two hours. This means that if a user’s private photo or video is shared without their permission, a deepfake video goes viral, or a complaint is filed regarding any other serious digital crime, the relevant platform must take action within 120 minutes. Similarly, the timeframe for removing illegal content following a court or government order has also been significantly reduced.
Not every post will fall under this rule. The government has prioritized content that could cause immediate and serious harm to an individual. These include private photos or videos shared without consent, AI-generated deepfakes, fake content created by altering someone’s voice or face, and content declared illegal by a court or government. The government believes that removing such content within the first few hours before it goes viral can significantly prevent harm.
The new rules aren’t limited to removing content. The government has also tightened its grip on content created with artificial intelligence. If a photo, video, or audio is created with AI, it must be clearly disclosed when posted. This means the user must be informed that the content is fully or partially created with AI. If this isn’t done, the platform can identify such content and watermark it or even remove it if necessary. However, general photo editing, camera filters, and everyday image enhancements are excluded from this rule.
These rules will have the greatest impact on companies like Meta, Google, and X. Now, if a platform fails to take action within the stipulated time, it could lose the safe harbor protection provided under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. This legal protection prevents social media companies from being held directly responsible for content posted by their users. If this protection is removed, legal action against companies and their officials for controversial content could also be possible. This means that companies now face not only a technical challenge, but also greater legal risk.
The biggest change ordinary users will notice is on their timelines. Deepfake videos, doctored audio, morphed images, and content shared without consent can be removed much faster than before. This is expected to provide quicker relief to victims of digital harassment. On the other hand, controversial content that goes viral may also have a significantly shorter lifespan. This means the platform could remove a post before it reaches millions of people.
This is the biggest question. To make decisions within just two hours, social media companies will have to use AI-based moderation systems on a large scale. Such systems can sometimes mistakenly consider satire, political commentary, journalism, or even general discussion as violating the rules. This means that even legitimate posts may be temporarily removed. For this reason, some believe that striking a balance between swift action and freedom of expression will be the biggest challenge in the future.
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