India Tightens Content Rules for Big Tech

India's Information and Technology Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced that major tech platforms, including Alphabet Inc.===YouTube, Meta Platforms, X, and Netflix, must adhere to India's constitutional framework. This statement follows India's recent tightening of content-takedown rules, which now require social media companies to remove unlawful content within three hours of notification, a significant reduction from the previous 36-hour window. Vaishnaw also called for stronger regulation against deepfakes, initiating discussions with the industry. This move by India is part of a broader global trend, as governments from Europe to Latin America are increasing pressure on social media companies to more aggressively police harmful and illegal content. Concurrently, Spain has ordered prosecutors to investigate X, Meta Platforms, and TikTok over allegations of spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material, further intensifying regulatory scrutiny on big tech.