The proposed changes in the rules defining the use of Information Technology in India are aimed at bringing in transparency, and not control or restrict online content creators, said Electronics and IT Secretary, S Krishnan, said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the government proposed changes to IT rules, mandating the clear labelling of AI-generated content and increasing the accountability of large platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, for verifying and flagging synthetic information so as to help audiences make informed choices and curb user-harm from deepfakes and misinformation.
“All that we are asking for is to label the content…You must put in a label which indicates whether a particular piece of content has been generated synthetically or not. We are not saying don’t put it up, or don’t do this and that. Whatever you’re creating, it’s fine. You just say it is synthetically generated. So that once it says it’s synthetically generated, then people can make up their minds as to whether it is good, bad, or whatever,” Krishnan said.
India’s approach to adopting artificial intelligence (AI) prioritises innovation first, with regulation following only where necessary, he said, adding that the responsibility for implementing the new labelling requirement will rest jointly on users, AI service providers, and social media platforms.
Also Read: New IT rules proposed: AI content to require labelling
The creation of labels by providers of computer resources or software who create synthetic content must be fairly prominent and that which cannot be deleted, Krishnan said, adding that enforcement action would only apply to unlawful content, “and that applies to any content, not just AI content”.
Apart from clearly defining synthetically-generated information, the draft amendment, on which comments from stakeholders have been sought by November 6, 2025, mandates labelling, visibility, and metadata embedding for synthetically generated or modified information to distinguish such content from authentic media.
The stricter rules would increase the accountability of significant social media intermediaries (those with 50 lakh or more registered users) in verifying and flagging synthetic information through reasonable and appropriate technical measures.
Follow us
