Govt proposes tweaks in IT rules; moots labelling, markers for AI-generated content

In a bid to curb user harm from AI-generated deepfakes and synthetically produced content, the IT Ministry has proposed draft amendments to IT rules that mandate labelling and prominent markers to ensure users can distinguish synthetic and authentic content and mooted greater accountability for major social media platforms.

With the increasing availability of generative AI tools and the resulting proliferation of synthetically generated information (deepfakes), the potential for misuse of such technologies to cause user harm, spread misinformation, manipulate elections, or impersonate individuals has grown significantly, the IT Ministry said.

Taking note of these risks, and after extensive public discussions and parliamentary deliberations, MeitY has prepared the draft amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, it said, adding that the move aims to strengthen due diligence obligations for intermediaries, particularly social media intermediaries (platforms with 50 lakh or more users like Meta) and significant social media intermediaries (SSMIs), as well as for platforms that enable the creation or modification of synthetically generated content.

It requires significant social media companies to obtain a user declaration on whether uploaded information is synthetically generated, deploy reasonable and proportionate technical measures to verify such declarations, and ensure that synthetically generated information is clearly labelled or accompanied by a notice indicating the same.

The proposed amendments, as outlined in the draft notification, introduce a clear definition of 'synthetically generated information', as well as labelling and metadata embedding requirements for such information to ensure users can distinguish synthetic from authentic content, according to the draft.

The draft introduces a new clause defining synthetically generated content as information that is artificially or algorithmically created, generated, modified or altered using a computer resource, in a manner that appears reasonably authentic or true.

The proposed tweaks in IT rules also introduce visibility and audibility standards, meaning synthetic content will have to be prominently marked, including a minimum 10% visual or initial audio duration coverage; and enhanced verification and declaration obligations for significant social media platforms, mandating reasonable technical measures to confirm whether uploaded content is synthetically generated and to label it accordingly.

These amendments are intended to promote user awareness, enhance traceability, and ensure accountability while maintaining an enabling environment for innovation in AI-driven technologies, the IT Ministry said.

It has sought feedback/comments on the draft amendment to the IT rules till November 6, 2025.

"Recent incidents of deepfake audio, videos and synthetic media going viral on social platforms have demonstrated the potential of generative AI to create convincing falsehoods - depicting individuals in acts or statements they never made. Such content can be weaponised to spread misinformation, damage reputations, manipulate or influence elections, or commit financial fraud," said the accompanying explanatory note on the IT Ministry website.

Globally and domestically, policymakers are increasingly concerned about fabricated or synthetic images, videos, and audio clips (deepfakes) that are indistinguishable from real content, and are being blatantly used to produce non-consensual intimate or obscene imagery; mislead the public with fabricated political or news content; commit fraud or impersonation for financial gain.

The IT Rule changes seek to provide statutory protection to intermediaries, removing or disabling access to synthetically generated information based on reasonable efforts or user grievances.

It mandates that intermediaries offering computer resources enabling creation or modification of synthetically generated information must ensure that such information is labelled or embedded with a permanent unique metadata or identifier; stipulates that such label or identifier must be visibly displayed or made audible in a prominent manner on or within the synthetic content, covering at least 10% of the surface area of a visual display or, in the case of audio content, during the initial 10% of its duration.

The label or identifier must enable immediate identification of the content as synthetically-generated information.

The rule further prohibits intermediaries from modifying, suppressing, or removing such labels or identifiers.