India Brings AI-Generated Content Under Formal Regulation with IT Rules Amendment

India’s MeitY, via notification G.S.R.120(E) effective Feb 20, 2026, amends the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 to define “synthetically generated information” (deepfakes) and impose stricter duties on intermediaries: periodic user notices, rapid takedowns (3 hours), mandatory reporting, automated detection, and prominent labeling plus persistent metadata for lawful AI content; significant social media must collect and verify pre-publication SGI declarations, and failures can trigger penalties—aligning with 2023 criminal codes and signaling a shift toward traceability and accountability over outright bans.