The Government of India announced a significant proposal to amend the IT Rules, 2021, requiring social media companies to implement mandatory labeling of all AI-generated content.
This move, announced on Wednesday, is a direct response to the escalating global concern over the potential for synthetically generated media, such as deepfakes, to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and commit financial fraud. The proposed changes are intended to establish clear accountability, enhance content traceability, and ensure that users can reliably distinguish authentic content from synthetic falsehoods.
The core of the proposed amendments centers on fixing accountability within the system. By amending the IT Rules, the government aims to establish a robust legal barrier against the weaponization of generative AI. The key requirements outlined in the draft notification are comprehensive:
- A clear and precise definition of “synthetically generated information” is introduced, providing the necessary legal clarity.
- Labelling and metadata embedding requirements are mandated for synthetic content. This will ensure that metadata detailing the content’s origin and nature is attached, significantly enhancing traceability.
- New visibility and audibility standards require that synthetic content be prominently marked. Specifically, the marker must cover a minimum 10% of the visual or initial audio duration, ensuring the label is unavoidable to the end-user.
- Enhanced verification and declaration obligations are placed on Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs). These platforms will be mandated to use reasonable technical measures to confirm whether uploaded content is synthetically generated and label it accordingly.
These amendments are designed to deliver clear accountability and transparency, ensuring an Open, Safe, Trusted, and Accountable Internet.
The urgency of this regulatory intervention was highlighted recently when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised serious concerns about deepfake videos of herself being shared online. Such incidents demonstrate the potential of generative AI to create highly convincing falsehoods, depicting individuals in acts or statements they never made. This synthetic content can be weaponized to damage reputations or facilitate financial fraud. By introducing clear identification mechanisms, the government aims to mitigate the negative impact of technology being used as a weapon.
The background to these changes includes recent high-profile incidents of deepfake audio and videos going viral on social platforms, which prompted concerns in both Houses of Parliament. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has previously issued multiple advisories to intermediaries to curb this proliferation. The proposed amendments build on those efforts, providing a strong legal framework.
The Ministry is currently soliciting feedback and comments on the draft rules. Submissions should be made in a rule-wise manner via email to itrules.consultation@meity.gov.in in MS Word or PDF format by November 6, 2025.
