India’s tougher AI social media rules spark censorship fears

India has tightened rules governing the use of artificial intelligence on social media to combat a flood of disinformation, but also prompting warnings of censorship and an erosion of digital freedoms.

The new regulations are set to take effect on February 20 — the final day of an international AI summit in New Delhi featuring leading global tech figures — and will sharply reduce the time platforms have to remove content deemed problematic.

With more than a billion internet users, India is grappling with AI-generated disinformation swamping social media.