Digital content must conform to Indian law, ethos: Vaishnaw

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday asserted that global digital platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and Meta must operate strictly within the constitutional and legal framework of India, while also respecting the country’s cultural context.

Addressing a press conference on the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam here, the minister -- while expressing concern around digital content and emerging technologies -- said that any platform operating in India must adhere to the Constitution and the nation’s laws. “Whether it is Netflix, YouTube or Meta, all platforms must function within the legal framework of the country in which they operate,” he said. The minister emphasised that multinational companies must recognise that cultural sensitivities vary across nations.

On the issue of deepfakes, the minister expressed concern over the growing threat posed by manipulated digital content. He called for stronger regulatory measures to address the misuse of artificial intelligence technologies. “Deepfakes are a problem growing day by day. There is a clear need to protect our children and society from the harms those can cause,” he said.

Vaishnaw said that the government has already initiated discussions with industry stakeholders to determine what additional regulations might be required beyond existing measures. He also pointed out that the Parliamentary IT Committee has studied the issue and made observations, which will contribute to shaping future policy.

“Certainly, we need much stronger regulations on deepfakes and we will build consensus within Parliament to bring in stronger safeguards,” he added.

Regarding age-based content regulation, Vaishnaw said that many countries have recognised the importance of implementing age-based restrictions to ensure that children access appropriate content. He said the government is currently in discussion with social media platforms to determine the most effective mechanisms for implementing age-based controls.

The government, he added, remains committed to ensuring that digital platforms operate responsibly, safeguarding users while fostering innovation within India’s constitutional and cultural framework.

Notably, the government had earlier asked social media platforms, including Elon Musk's platform X, to submit a detailed action-taken report after issuing a warning over indecent and sexually explicit content generated through AI-based tools like 'Grok'. Additionally, the government had amended its IT rules, requiring social media platforms to remove "unlawful" content within three hours.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court too had criticised Meta and WhatsApp for allegedly infringing on Indian citizens' privacy rights, accusing them of data theft and creating a market monopoly.

Last year, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed social media platform X's petition challenging the government's authority to block “objectionable” content saying the social media must be regulated.