The government of India has Introduced a new amendmend in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 represents India’s most assertive regulatory intervention into AI-generated content to date. The government has put the takedown timelines, mandating technical traceability and redefining intermediary obligations. The GOI has shifted from reactive moderation toward proactive algorithmic governance.
What Exactly Has Changed?
Imagine waking up one morning and finding a fake video of yourself circulating on the internet. It looks real. It sounds real. But it is not you. This is what deepfakes do, and they have been spreading faster than platforms could handle. India has now decided enough is enough. On 10th February 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and IT announced major changes to the rules that govern how social media platforms must deal with such kind of harmful content. The new rules are clear and they are strict.
The Two-Hour Rule That Changes Everything
Here is the big one. If someone files a complaint about a fake intimate video or image made without their consent, the platform now has just two hours to take it down. That is it. 120 minutes. No more waiting for days. Earlier, platforms had 24 to 36 hours to act. That window has now been cut down sharply. For other kinds of harmful AI-generated content, platforms get three hours. The moment a complaint comes in, the clock starts ticking.
For victims, this is a huge relief. Before these rules, harmful content could stay up for an entire day, causing real damage to people’s reputations and mental health. Now, platforms simply cannot afford to be slow.
Fake Videos Must Be Labelled
The new rules do not just talk about removing bad content. They also say that if a platform allows any AI-generated video or image to be published, it must carry a clear label. Users need to know when something has been made by a machine. On top of that, platforms must embed permanent information into the content that tells you where it came from, which AI model made it, and what changes were made to it. This information cannot be deleted or hidden by anyone.
Big Task for Big Platforms
For social media companies, this is not a small ask. They now need teams working around the clock just for India. They need AI tools to detect fake content quickly. They need staff to review complaints at any hour of the day or night. Every single takedown action must be recorded and stored for seven years. Experts estimate that following all these rules could add noticeable costs to platform operations. But the government has made it clear. Follow the rules or lose your legal protection under Indian law.
Some Are Worried About Free Speech
Not everyone is celebrating. Digital rights groups and legal experts have raised concerns over the new law. When platforms are pressured to remove content in just two hours, there is a real risk that genuine satire, comedy, or political commentary gets deleted too. A joke or a parody could easily be flagged by mistake. Critics worry that rushed decisions could silence important voices, especially those speaking out against those in power.
Why India Did This
The government’s reasoning is simple. Deepfakes spread faster than the truth. By the time a fake video is taken down under the old rules, it could have already reached millions of people. The damage is done. India has chosen to act fast and act early, making it one of the first countries in the world to set such tight deadlines for deepfake removal.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
Tweets @ZiyaIbnHameed
