- The Indian government has amended the IT Rules 2021, officially bringing “synthetically generated information” (SGI) such as AI-generated audio, video, and images under the regulatory framework, notified on February 10, 2026, and effective from February 20, 2026.
- For the first time, SGI is clearly defined: content created or modified by algorithms that appears authentic and is difficult to distinguish from real people or events.
- Exemptions apply to good-faith editing such as color correction, noise reduction, translation, file compression… if they do not distort the original content; illustrative and educational materials are also not considered SGI.
- Clear and prominent labeling is mandatory for all synthetic content; users must immediately recognize it as artificial content.
- Platforms must embed durable metadata or traceability mechanisms, including technical identifiers, to trace SGI back to the intermediary’s computer resource where technically feasible.
- Removing or modifying labels and metadata of synthetic content is prohibited.
- “Significant social media intermediaries” must require users to declare whether content is SGI before posting and deploy automated tools for verification.
- Processing timelines are drastically tightened: some cases reduced from 36 hours to 3 hours; other milestones from 15 days to 7 days, and 24 hours to 12 hours.
- SGI is brought under the scope of violations according to Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and child protection laws; prohibiting child abuse content, forgery, false electronic records, and weapons.
- The government affirms that platforms will still enjoy the legal liability exemption mechanism under Section 79 if they remove or restrict SGI in compliance with regulations, including using automated tools.
📌 The Indian government has amended the IT Rules 2021, officially bringing “synthetically generated information” (SGI) such as AI-generated audio, video, and images under the regulatory framework, notified on February 10, 2026, and effective from February 20, 2026. India imposes obligations for labeling, embedding traceability metadata, and shortening violation handling to 3 hours in certain situations. SGI is officially within the scope of law enforcement, but platforms are still protected by the liability exemption mechanism under Section 79 if compliant. This move demonstrates a balanced approach: encouraging the development of generative AI parallel to controlling deepfakes and misinformation.
