In a major move to curb the rising menace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) misuse and deceptive deepfakes, the Indian Government has notified stringent amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Rules. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) tightened the noose on social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, making it mandatory for them to implement robust transparency measures.

Under the revised Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, platforms are now legally bound to remove any flagged offensive or misleading AI-generated content within a strict 3-hour window. This drastic reduction in the takedown timeline aims to prevent harmful deepfakes from going viral. Furthermore, the government has made it compulsory to use permanent labels or watermarks on all AI-generated media. For visual images, the label must cover at least 10% of the content, and for audio or video clips, the AI disclosure must be prominent during the first 10% of the playback.

The new policy also shifts the burden of proof onto the platforms and users. Social media companies must now ask users upfront whether their uploaded content is original or AI-altered. To ensure long-term compliance, platforms are required to use automated moderation tools to detect and block exploitative or deceptive AI content before it reaches the public. Additionally, users will be reminded every three months about the legal penalties associated with violating these AI guidelines. These measures mark a significant shift from voluntary disclosure to mandatory transparency, ensuring a safer and more authentic digital ecosystem for all Indian citizens.