BENGALURU, March 30 (Reuters) - India on Tuesday proposed changes to its IT law to make advisories and clarifications legally binding on internet platforms such as Meta, Google and X, the latest in a
India proposes making government advisories legally binding on tech giants
India's Proposed IT Law Changes and Implications for Tech Giants
(Story refiles to fix day in first paragraph to Monday from Tuesday)
Overview of Proposed Legal Changes
BENGALURU, March 30 (Reuters) - India on Monday proposed changes to its IT law to make advisories and clarifications legally binding on internet platforms such as Meta, Google and X, the latest in a string of stricter compliance requirements for tech giants.
Stricter Compliance Requirements
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government this year compressed the timeline for platforms to take down content flagged by authorities to three hours, from 36 hours previously, and has imposed new obligations around AI-generated content and deepfakes.
Current Status of IT Ministry Advisories
Currently, the IT ministry's advisories to platforms - on issues ranging from deepfake labelling to content takedown practices - have functioned as guidance without explicit legal consequences.
Proposed Enforcement and Legal Certainty
In new proposed rules on Monday, the government said non-compliance with advisories or guidelines issued by the IT ministry would be treated as a failure to meet the conditions for safe harbour - the legal shield that protects platforms from liability for content posted by their users.
The changes were being proposed to "strengthen enforceability" of directions and "improve legal certainty", the ministry said in a notice inviting public feedback by April 14.
Industry Response
Meta, Google and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
