The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has adopted the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, to regulate synthetically generated information. These amendments expand the legal definition of “information” to include content artificially created or modified to appear authentic, mandating that all such public-facing material include visible labeling and embedded metadata that is permanent, unique, and easily perceivable. Intermediaries providing tools for creating synthetic content are prohibited from removing or altering these identifiers, while Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) face enhanced due diligence obligations, including the requirement to obtain user declarations for uploaded content and deploy technical measures to verify those claims. While these rules apply strictly to public content rather than private material, they also clarify that intermediaries maintain “safe harbour” protections when they make reasonable efforts to remove or disable access to content in compliance with these standards. The regulations are set to officially enter into force on 20 February 2026.
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