India Tightens Rules on AI and Deepfake Content

Effective February 20, 2026, the Indian government has amended the IT Rules, 2021, introducing strict new regulations for platforms dealing with AI-generated content. The updated rules mark a major step toward digital accountability in an era of synthetic media and generative AI tools.

At the core of the amendment is the formal recognition of "Synthetically Generated Information," which includes AI-created text, images, audio, and video. Platforms enabling such content must now implement robust safeguards to prevent misuse—particularly impersonation, misinformation, and deepfake abuse.

A key mandate is compulsory labelling and traceability. All AI-generated content must carry visible, tamper-proof labels and metadata provenance markers, ensuring clear disclosure and enabling identification even when content is reshared or modified.

The rules significantly raise the bar for platform due-diligence. Large intermediaries and social media platforms must require users to declare AI-generated content at the point of upload. In parallel, automated moderation systems must detect and block illegal or deceptive synthetic media, such as non-consensual deepfakes or manipulated public records.

The compliance burden has also increased. Takedown timelines for flagged content have been shortened—sometimes to mere hours—placing greater operational demands on platforms to respond swiftly to complaints or regulatory notices.

Users are now more legally exposed. Violations may lead to account suspension, identity disclosure to victims, and prosecution under existing IT and criminal laws, increasing the personal risk of spreading unlabelled or harmful AI-generated content.

For startups building GenAI tools, creator platforms, SaaS applications, or social apps, this marks a turning point. “Compliance by Design” is no longer optional—it must include labelling systems, audit trails, moderation infrastructure, and user transparency. AI innovation remains welcome, but regulatory risks around unlabelled synthetic content are now real and enforceable.