India has transitioned from proposal to enforcement of comprehensive new regulations targeting AI-generated content online, introducing rapid takedown deadlines and mandatory labelling to combat deepfakes, impersonation, and manipulation.
India has moved from proposal to enforcement on one of the most aggressive attempts yet to curb artificial intelligence-driven abuse online, with new rules requiring social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove illegal AI-generated content within 3 hours of a valid government or court order. According to reports in The Times of India, the Financial Express and The Indian Express, the amended framework also introduces mandatory labelling for synthetic content and adds traceability requirements aimed at deepfakes and manipulated media.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology says the changes are designed to reduce the spread of unlawful audio, video, images and text created with AI while preserving what it describes as an open, safe, trusted and accountable cyberspace. Under the revised rules, platforms must clearly label AI-generated material, attach metadata that helps users identify synthetic content and take reasonable technical steps, including automated tools, to detect and limit its spread, according to NDTV and Gadgets 360.
The crackdown goes well beyond takedowns. The revised rules shorten the deadline for handling ordinary user complaints to 36 hours from 72, while complaints involving nudity or impersonation must be addressed within 2 hours instead of 24, according to the same reports. The government has also specifically targeted deepfakes, AI-enabled impersonation, child sexual exploitation material and non-consensual intimate imagery, with platforms expected to verify user declarations about AI-generated posts and warn users about penalties for violations.
The new framework, which was notified after earlier draft amendments were released for consultation, is set to take effect on February 20, 2026, according to Reuters-style accounts in Indian media. As reported by The Times of India, the government has also added a statutory definition of “synthetically generated information”, a move that could give regulators a clearer legal basis as they pursue platforms over harmful AI content.
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