Union Minister clarifies to Social Media giants

metro india news  I new delhi

Union Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that global technology companies operating in India, including Netflix, YouTube, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter), must strictly adhere to the country's constitutional and legal framework. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on February 17, 2026, Vaishnaw stated that this requirement is a standard global norm for multinationals and a well-established legal position.

He underscored the importance of cultural sensitivity, noting that companies need to understand and respect the cultural context of the nations where they operate. What may be acceptable or commonplace in one country could be prohibited or highly sensitive in another, he explained. Vaishnaw highlighted that most multinational firms strive to adapt to local norms, though it often involves a learning process to align their content and services appropriately.The minister expressed growing concern over the rising threat of deepfakes, describing it as a problem that is escalating daily and posing significant risks to society, particularly children.

He called for much stronger regulations to address these harms and protect vulnerable groups. Vaishnaw revealed that the government has already initiated dialogues with industry stakeholders to determine what additional measures are needed beyond existing steps.He further noted that the Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology has examined the deepfake issue in detail and issued recommendations.

Vaishnaw stressed the need to build consensus within Parliament to implement significantly tougher restrictions on deepfakes, ensuring broader societal safeguards against misinformation, impersonation, and other malicious uses of AI-generated content. These comments come amid recent government actions, including amendments to the Information Technology Rules that mandate labeling of AI-generated and synthetic content, along with faster takedown timelines for flagged unlawful material.