In a decisive move to curb the growing menace of AI-driven deepfakes and synthetic content, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Tuesday issued revised guidelines for social media intermediaries, tightening compliance obligations for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Under the new framework, platforms have been directed to clearly label all AI-generated or AI-modified content and ensure that such material carries embedded identifiers. Crucially, once content is flagged by the government or taken up under a court order, companies will have just three hours to remove AI-generated or deepfake material from their platforms.
The notification also plugs a key loophole by barring digital platforms from allowing the removal, alteration or suppression of AI labels and associated metadata once these have been applied. In effect, platforms will be required to preserve the “provenance trail” of synthetic content so that users and authorities can identify manipulated media.
To enforce the rules, intermediaries have been told to deploy “reasonable and appropriate” technical measures, including automated tools, to detect and prevent the circulation of illegal, sexually exploitative or deceptive AI-generated content. The order specifically references compliance with existing Indian laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, among others.
MeitY has also placed a communication obligation on platforms. “An intermediary shall periodically inform its users, at least once every three months, in a simple and effective manner,” about the consequences of violating rules related to AI misuse, the guidelines state. This can be done through platform rules, privacy policies, user agreements or other appropriate channels.
Where a platform becomes aware of any violation related to the creation, generation, modification, hosting, publishing or sharing of synthetically generated information, it must take “expeditious and appropriate action,” the order adds. The emphasis is on speed and proactive enforcement, reflecting the government’s concern over the viral nature of deepfakes and manipulated media.
The draft rules also seek to place responsibility on users, mandating disclosure when they post AI-generated or AI-altered content. Platforms, in turn, will be required to adopt technology to verify these declarations and prevent misuse.
Several social media companies have already rolled out features that allow users to label content as generated or modified using artificial intelligence. The new guidelines, however, significantly raise the compliance bar, turning what were largely voluntary measures into binding obligations with strict timelines.
The move comes amid rising concerns over the misuse of generative AI for misinformation, fraud, harassment and non-consensual explicit content, with the government signalling that platforms will now be held to far tighter standards of accountability.
