INDUSTRY
New IT rules mandate labelling of AI-created content, takedown time cut to 2-3 hours
- IBJ Bureau
- Feb 11, 2026
The Union government has notified amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, mandating clear labelling of AI-generated and synthetic content across digital platforms.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), intermediaries offering tools that enable the creation or sharing of “synthetic content” must ensure such material carries a prominent and visible label. Where technically possible, platforms are also required to embed permanent metadata or provenance identifiers to help trace the origin of such content.
The amendments formally define “audio, visual or audio-visual information” and “synthetically-generated information” as content that is artificially created, modified or altered using computer resources in a way that makes it appear realistic or indistinguishable from real people or events. However, routine editing, accessibility enhancements and good-faith formatting have been excluded from this definition.
The revised rules aim to counter the rising threat of deepfakes, misinformation and digital impersonation, while maintaining a balance between technological innovation and user safety. Non-compliance may attract penalties under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and other applicable criminal laws.
The requirement to take down content quicker does not just apply to AI-generated content but a wide range of content that the law deems unlawful. Platforms must now remove non-consensual intimate imagery within two hours, as opposed to 24 hours earlier. Other forms of unlawful content are required to be taken down within three hours from an earlier requirement to act on it within 36 hours.
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