India IT Rules on Deepfakes and Synthetic Content Labels

India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 operate under the Information Technology Act, 2000. Gazette notification G.S.R. 120(E) amended the rules on February 10, 2026, with commencement on February 20. The amendments define synthetically generated information (SGI) as audio, visual or audiovisual information artificially or algorithmically created, generated, modified or altered to appear real, authentic or true and be indistinguishable or likely perceived as indistinguishable from a natural person or real-world event. Pure text by itself is not SGI under that definition, although other due-diligence rules still apply to unlawful text. The definition expressly excludes routine good-faith editing, technical correction or accessibility improvements where the content’s substance or meaning is not materially changed; ordinary document preparation is also excluded unless it creates false documents or electronic records. Under Rule 3(3), intermediaries whose resources enable creation, alteration, publication, transmission or sharing of SGI must deploy reasonable technical measures to prevent SGI that violates applicable law. Permissible SGI must carry a clear, prominent label or notice; audiovisual media use visible labeling, audio uses a prefixed disclosure, and provenance metadata or another technical mechanism with a unique identifier is required to the extent technically feasible. Intermediaries must not enable removal or suppression of these identifiers. Significant social media intermediaries have an additional ex-ante duty under Rule 4(1A): obtain a user declaration before display, upload or publication, use reasonable and proportionate measures to verify it, and ensure confirmed SGI is labeled. The obligations bind intermediaries; they do not amount to a general standalone statute ordering every person who creates AI media to use a specified label. The IT Act safe harbour under section 79 depends on meeting statutory conditions and due diligence; noncompliance does not automatically resolve liability without applying those rules. MeitY’s March and April 2026 Second Amendment drafts proposed further changes, but they remained draft notices without Gazette numbers or commencement dates as of September 26.