In a major pushback against tightening digital regulations, Meta Platforms Inc. has raised significant operational concerns over India’s newly notified Information Technology (IT) Amendment Rules, 2026. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 17, 2026, Meta’s Vice President of Policy, Rob Sherman, warned that the government’s mandate to remove “unlawful content” within just three hours is practically difficult to implement at scale.
The new regulations, set to take effect on February 20, 2026, represent a drastic reduction from the previous 36-hour window. Under the amended framework, social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp must act on government orders or court directions within 180 minutes. For highly sensitive material, such as non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and deepfakes, the compliance window is even tighter at just two hours.
While Meta reaffirmed its commitment to user safety and alignment with India’s regulatory goals, Sherman highlighted that “meaningful human review” becomes nearly impossible under such compressed timelines.
“Whenever we get a request from the government, we have to look into it, investigate it, and validate it ourselves. That’s just something that takes some amount of time… That’s often not possible to turn around in three hours,” Sherman stated.
The tech giant also expressed concern over the lack of prior industry consultation. Experts suggest that the 3-hour mandate is currently the shortest takedown window in the world, surpassing even the strict regulations seen in the European Union and Australia.
Digital rights advocates and industry bodies like NASSCOM have echoed Meta’s fears, suggesting the new rules might force platforms to become “rapid-fire censors.” To avoid heavy penalties—including the loss of “Safe Harbour” protection under Section 79 of the IT Act—platforms may move toward fully automated moderation.
This shift carries a high risk of “over-takedowns,” where legitimate content such as political satire, parody, or news reports could be accidentally removed by AI filters unable to understand context or nuance.
The regulatory friction comes at a time when India has emerged as Meta’s number one market for AI adoption. Sherman noted that Indian developers are among the most enthusiastic users of the open-source Llama models. Despite the compliance hurdles, Meta remains focused on its “Personal Super Intelligence” vision for the country, aiming to provide customized AI assistants to millions of Indian users.
With the February 20 deadline fast approaching, Meta and other tech leaders continue to seek clarity on whether the government will allow flexibility for technically complex requests or cross-border content disputes.
Key Highlights:
- Drastic Timeline Cut: India’s new IT Rules slash the content takedown window from 36 hours to just 3 hours (2 hours for sensitive deepfakes), effective February 20, 2026.
- Operational Strain: Meta’s Rob Sherman flagged the 3-hour deadline as “really challenging,” noting that thorough investigation and validation of government requests often require more time.
- Loss of Safe Harbour: Platforms that fail to meet these near-instant deadlines risk losing their legal immunity, potentially facing civil and criminal liability for user-generated content.
- Censorship Concerns: Experts warn the rules could lead to “censorship by proxy,” as platforms may automate removals to ensure compliance, inadvertently silencing satire and free speech.