MeitY Notifies IT Rules Amendment 2026

The Government amended the 2021 IT Rules to tighten regulation of synthetically generated and AI-based content on digital platforms. The amendments introduce legal recognition, mandatory labelling and stricter compliance timelines for intermediaries.

IT Rules Amendment on Synthetic & AI-Generated Content:

Dimension	Key Details
Legal Recognition	Provides first formal definition and regulation of synthetically generated information including deepfakes and AI-based impersonation
Scope Exclusion	Excludes routine editing, academic and training materials
Mandatory Labelling	Requires synthetic content to be prominently marked and embedded with metadata or unique identifiers
Metadata Protection	Bars removal or suppression of AI labels or metadata by platforms
SSMI Obligations	Significant Social Media Intermediaries must verify user declarations and ensure clear disclosure of synthetic content before publication
Safe Harbour Provision	Section 79 of the IT Act provides safe harbour protection to intermediaries for third-party content
Safe Harbour Consequence	Failure to comply may result in loss of safe harbour protection
Prohibited Synthetic Content	Includes child sexual abuse material, non-consensual intimate imagery, false documents and deceptive impersonation
Takedown Timeline	Requires disabling access within 3 hours of lawful orders
Grievance Timeline	Reduces grievance redressal period from 15 days to 7 days
Complementary Laws	Includes Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions
Institutional Mechanism	Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre monitors AI-driven cyber threats