Centre Cuts Sensitive Content Takedown Window To 2 Hours: All You Need To Know

Social media platforms operating in India will now have just two hours to act on complaints involving certain categories of sensitive online content, including nudity, sexual imagery, impersonation and artificially morphed images.

The new timeline is part of amendments made to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, on February 10, 2026. The changes are aimed at strengthening the regulatory framework for dealing with harms arising from synthetically generated information, or SGI, including deepfakes and other AI-generated content.

Earlier, platforms had up to 24 hours to remove or disable access to sensitive content falling under these categories.

What Is The New Two-Hour Rule?

Under the amended rules, social media intermediaries must act within two hours after receiving a complaint involving content that exposes an individual’s private areas, depicts them in full or partial nudity or in a sexual act, or electronically impersonates them.

The provision also covers artificially morphed images, making it particularly relevant in cases involving deepfake sexual content and non-consensual intimate imagery.

The earlier deadline for handling such complaints was 24 hours.

The government has argued that quicker action is necessary because harmful content can spread rapidly across social media platforms, particularly when artificial intelligence tools make manipulation and replication easier.

Unlawful Content Must Be Removed Within Three Hours

The amendments have also sharply reduced the time available to platforms to comply with legally valid takedown orders.

When an intermediary receives a valid and reasoned direction from an authorised government agency or an order from a competent court requiring unlawful information to be removed or blocked, it must now comply within three hours.

Earlier, platforms had 36 hours to take such action.

This three-hour requirement is separate from the two-hour deadline applicable to complaints involving sensitive content such as nudity, sexual imagery, impersonation and morphed material.

The broader grievance redressal framework has also been tightened. Platforms are now required to act on specified complaints involving prohibited information within 36 hours instead of the earlier 72 hours.

These shorter timelines significantly increase the pressure on social media companies to maintain faster grievance-handling and content-moderation systems.

Why Has The Government Tightened The Rules?

The amendments place particular emphasis on the growing risks associated with synthetically generated information.

The rapid expansion of generative artificial intelligence has made it easier to create highly realistic manipulated images, videos and audio. Such tools can also be misused for impersonation, non-consensual sexual imagery, child sexual abuse material and other forms of harmful or misleading content.

Government said the measures are part of its efforts to ensure an “open, safe, trusted and accountable cyberspace” while promoting the “responsible development, deployment and adoption of AI” in India.

What Are Significant Social Media Intermediaries?

The IT Rules impose additional responsibilities on Significant Social Media Intermediaries, or SSMIs.

Platforms with more than 50 lakh registered users in India fall under this category.

Such intermediaries are required to make reasonable efforts to deploy suitable technical measures, including automated tools or other mechanisms, to proactively identify certain forms of prohibited content.

This includes material depicting or simulating rape, child sexual abuse or related conduct. Platforms are also expected to identify content that is substantially similar to material that has already been removed.

The aim is to prevent harmful content from repeatedly resurfacing after an initial takedown.

Large platforms are also subject to enhanced due-diligence requirements under the IT Rules, including grievance redressal and compliance mechanisms.

What Happens If Social Media Platforms Fail To Comply?

Failure to comply with the IT Rules could have significant legal consequences for intermediaries.

Social media platforms currently receive conditional protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act for third-party content posted by their users. This protection, commonly referred to as safe harbour, limits the circumstances in which intermediaries can be held liable for content created by users.

However, the government has said that platforms failing to meet their obligations under the IT Rules could lose this protection.

Once safe harbour protection is lost, an intermediary may become exposed to legal proceedings, liability or prosecution under applicable laws.