Key Points
- Government reduces takedown timeline from 36 hours to 3 hours for unlawful AI content
- 13 responsible AI projects approved for deepfake detection across IITs
- Over 11.37 lakh people trained through 6,650 cyber security awareness workshops
The government has significantly tightened regulations to combat AI-generated deepfakes, reducing the timeline for platforms to remove unlawful synthetic content from 36 hours to just 3 hours, Union minister of state Jitin Prasada told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (29 July).
The amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, notified on 10 February 2026, require social media platforms to deploy technical measures that prevent users from creating or sharing synthetically generated information, a category that includes deepfakes and AI-manipulated audio and video, that violates any law.
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Under the new framework, intermediaries must ensure clear labelling and traceable metadata for permissible AI-generated content, enabling users to identify material created using artificial intelligence. Platforms face stricter compliance obligations, including mandatory user awareness programmes about the legal consequences of sharing unlawful AI content.
Faster Grievance Redressal
The amendments compress grievance redressal timelines across categories. For sensitive matters such as nudity and impersonation, platforms must now act within 2 hours, down from 24 hours previously. General grievances must be addressed within 36 hours, reduced from 72 hours.
Platforms that fail to observe these obligations lose their exemption from third-party liability under section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, exposing them to prosecution under applicable laws.
The rules explicitly cover child sexual exploitation material, non-consensual intimate imagery and impersonation through AI-generated content. Significant Social Media Intermediaries, platforms with 50 lakh or more registered users in India, must deploy automated tools to proactively identify content depicting rape, child sexual abuse or material identical to previously removed content.
The existing legal architecture addresses deepfake-related offences through multiple statutes. The IT Act covers identity theft under section 66C, impersonation under section 66D, privacy violations under section 66E and the publication of obscene content under sections 67 and 67A.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 provides additional tools. Section 353 penalises false or misleading statements that cause public mischief or fear, while section 111 enables prosecution of organised cybercrimes involving deepfake content.
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Section 69A of the IT Act empowers the government to issue blocking orders to intermediaries, while section 79 enables notices for removal of information used in unlawful acts. Police investigation powers are codified under sections 78 and 80.
The government has issued multiple advisories to intermediaries since December 2025. An advisory dated 29 December 2025 directed platforms to review their internal compliance frameworks, content moderation practices and user enforcement mechanisms.
A subsequent advisory on 9 February 2026 addressed religious content, directing intermediaries to deploy enhanced monitoring frameworks to ensure religious material is handled with sensitivity and accuracy. Non-compliance with statutory obligations may result in loss of section 79 exemption, the advisory warned.
By the numbers
- 3 hours
- New deadline for removing unlawful AI content
- 13 projects
- Responsible AI initiatives approved for deepfake detection
- 11.37 lakh
- People reached through cyber security workshops
On 16 March 2026, the government issued guidance on synthetically generated information that is abusive, defamatory or misleading. A Standard Operating Procedure to curtail non-consensual intimate imagery, released on 11 November 2025, provides detailed guidance for victims, intermediaries and law enforcement agencies.
Deepfake Detection Initiatives
The IndiaAI Mission has approved 13 responsible AI projects in educational institutions across the country, including specific initiatives for deepfake detection.
Key projects include Saakshya, a multi-agent framework developed by IIT Jodhpur and IIT Madras for deepfake detection, and AI Vishleshak, a system for improving audio-visual forgery detection. IIT Kharagpur is developing a real-time voice deepfake detection system.
The government is also deploying AI-based tools for cultural heritage preservation. The Gyan Bharatam Web Portal uses Large Language Script Models, which are AI systems trained to recognise and process historical scripts, alongside Optical Character Recognition technology that converts images of text into machine-readable format, and Handwritten Text Recognition capabilities.
BharatiyaGPT, a feature on the Gyan Bharatam portal, converts manuscript heritage into AI-ready formats and provides multilingual access through a Talk to Manuscript feature enabling voice-based interaction with historical texts.
The Information Security Education and Awareness project has conducted 6,650 workshops across the country, reaching more than 11.37 lakh participants including school and college students, teachers, law enforcement personnel and the general public.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team regularly issues guidelines on AI-related threats, sharing safety tips through official websites and social media. CERT-In published an advisory on deepfake threats in November 2024 outlining protective measures for users.
Grievance redressal remains available through multiple channels. Users whose complaints are not addressed by platform grievance officers can appeal online through the Grievance Appellate Committee portal. Complaints registered with police are investigated by state law enforcement agencies under the relevant statutory framework.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the new timeline for removing deepfake content in India?
Platforms must now remove unlawful AI-generated content within 3 hours of receiving valid government or court orders, reduced from 36 hours previously. Sensitive matters like nudity and impersonation require action within 2 hours.
What are the labelling requirements for AI-generated content?
Intermediaries must ensure clear labelling and traceable metadata for permissible AI-generated content, allowing users to identify synthetically generated material and prevent deception or misuse.
What happens if platforms fail to comply with deepfake rules?
Platforms that fail to observe legal obligations under the IT Rules lose their exemption from third-party liability under section 79 of the IT Act and face prosecution under applicable laws.
How can citizens report deepfake content in India?
Users can approach platform grievance officers directly. If complaints are not addressed, they can appeal through the Grievance Appellate Committee portal at gac.gov.in. Criminal complaints can be filed with local police.