‘Respect the country’s culture’: Ashwini Vaishnaw’s clear message to Netflix, YouTube and Meta

Global digital platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Meta should rigorously adhere to India’s legal and constitutional framework while also honoring the nation’s cultural background, according to Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday. While voicing concerns over digital content and emerging technologies, the minister stated that any platform functioning in India should abide by its laws and Constitution while speaking at a press conference on the India AI Impact Summit-2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

“Whether it is Netflix, YouTube or Meta, all platforms must function within the legal framework of the country in which they operate,” he said, emphasising that multinational companies must recognise that cultural sensitivities vary across nations.

According to Vaishnaw, anything that is seen appropriate in one nation could be illegal in another, and vice versa. Thus, he emphasized, it was essential for multinational corporations to comprehend and honor the cultural background of the nations in which they provide their services. 

The majority of businesses, he continued, made an effort to match their operations with regional customs and laws. Regarding deepfakes, the minister voiced grave concerns about the increasing danger of distorted digital information. In order to combat the abuse of artificial intelligence technologies, he advocated for more regulations.

“Whether it is Netflix, YouTube or Meta, all platforms must function within the legal framework of the country in which they operate,” he said, emphasising that multinational companies must recognise that cultural sensitivities vary across nations.

According to Vaishnaw, anything that is seen appropriate in one nation could be illegal in another, and vice versa. Thus, he emphasized, it was essential for multinational corporations to comprehend and honor the cultural background of the nations in which they provide their services. The majority of businesses, he continued, made an effort to match their operations with regional customs and laws.