New Delhi: The government is set to mandate that all AI-generated content shared online or on social media platforms must carry a clear declaration indicating its artificial origin. The proposal aims to bring greater transparency and curb the misuse of AI, particularly in the creation of deepfakes.
Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that calls for action against deepfakes have intensified in Parliament and public forums. “People are using images of prominent individuals to create deepfakes that invade privacy and spread misinformation,” he noted.
Under the proposed amendment to the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has directed that internet intermediaries using AI to generate content must ensure every such output is clearly labelled or embedded with a permanent unique identifier or metadata.
Platforms will also be required to deploy technical tools to verify the authenticity of user declarations and ensure that no synthetically generated content is uploaded without proper disclosure. The AI usage declaration must be prominently displayed on all relevant content.
Stakeholders have been invited to submit feedback by November 6, after which the amendment will be finalized. While MeitY will not prescribe specific technical standards, it expects intermediaries to adopt “reasonable and proportionate” verification measures.
In a related move, the government has also amended the IT Rules to state that notices to social media and internet intermediaries can now only be issued by officials of joint secretary rank or above, or by police officers of at least deputy inspector general (DIG) rank.
The new amendment, effective November 15, requires that all such notices include a clear legal basis and a detailed rationale explaining the nature of the alleged unlawful act and reasons for flagging content.
