The Central Government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, marking one of India’s most comprehensive regulatory interventions to address risks arising from synthetically generated or AI-created content.
Issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the amendments”coming into force on 20 February 2026”introduce detailed definitions, compliance obligations, and due-diligence requirements for intermediaries that enable the creation, hosting, or dissemination of synthetic audio, visual, or audio-visual information.
A key feature of the rules is the formal definition of “synthetically generated information,” covering AI-generated or algorithmically altered content that appears realistic or indistinguishable from real persons or events. At the same time, the government has carved out explicit exclusions for good-faith editing, accessibility enhancements, research outputs, educational materials, and routine technical processing, in an attempt to safeguard legitimate innovation and creative use.
The amendments mandate prominent labelling, permanent metadata or provenance mechanisms, and user declarations for synthetic content. Significant social media intermediaries are required to deploy automated and other technical tools to verify user declarations and prevent the publication of unlawful synthetic content, including deepfakes, child sexual abuse material, non-consensual intimate imagery, and impersonation.
Timelines for grievance redressal and takedown have also been significantly tightened, with certain lawful orders now requiring compliance within hours rather than days”signalling a stricter enforcement posture.
Industry observers note that while the rules align India with emerging global approaches to AI governance, their implementation will pose technical and operational challenges, particularly for startups and smaller platforms. Concerns remain around the accuracy of automated detection systems, compliance costs, and the risk of over-blocking lawful speech.
Nevertheless, the amendments are widely seen as establishing a regulatory baseline for responsible AI use, with success likely to depend on clear technical standards, proportional enforcement, and continued engagement between government, industry, and civil society.
