IT Ministry advises social media platforms to take down ‘manipulated’ content
The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued an advisory urging social media platforms to proactively remove manipulated, misleading, or out-of-context content. This move aims to prevent public disorder ahead of upcoming political protests and follows recent controversies regarding AI-generated deepfakes.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing tension between government regulation of digital platforms and the protection of free speech in the age of AI-generated misinformation.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday (October 8, 2026) urged social media platforms to curb “manipulated or out-of-context content,” on top of AI-generated deepfakes that are already liable for takedown notices under amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Liability and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 that were passed earlier this year. The advisory was first reported by tech policy news portal MediaNama .
“Such content, particularly when presented as current or authentic information, has the potential to cause public confusion, create apprehension, disturb public order and social tranquillity, and contribute to law-and-order concerns,” the advisory said. The edict comes ahead of the October 10 protest planned by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), and also follows outrage by Telugu film industry stars around a deepfake video that went viral this week.
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