The government on Tuesday proposed to constantly display labels on any AI-generated content when it is hosted on a social media platform, a shift from existing proposals to amend the Information Technology Rules 2021 that identified the need for such a distinction.
In a notification issued on April 21, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) proposed an amendment to Rule 3(3)(a)(ii) of the IT Rules, adding language requiring “continuous and clear display of the classification of artificially generated information”. [AI generated content] For the duration of the visual content display.”
Rule 3(3)(a)(ii) is itself a relatively recent addition, notified by the Government in February as part of a wider set of obligations imposed on social media intermediaries in relation to synthetically generated content (SGI). A Meity official said the change, which was introduced just two months after the rule was notified, is aimed at ensuring that the sticker does not disappear after the first few seconds of a video or visual presentation. The Ministry invited comments and comments on the amendment until May 7.
The February SGI rules also introduced a three-hour deadline for platforms to remove AI-generated or fake content once it is reported by the government or ordered by a court. It also tightens timelines for redressing grievances, reducing the window from 15 days to 7 days, and stipulating that complaints relating to nudity or child sexual abuse material be dealt with within two hours, down from 24 hours.
The government had first proposed the SGI framework in draft amendments released in October 2025, which included much more targeted labeling requirements. The draft stipulated that labels or watermarks would cover at least 10% of the visual presentation, with audio disclosures playing during the first portion of the content.
However, this ruling has faced opposition from industry bodies and platforms, which have argued that fixed-sized labels would be impractical across formats and could disrupt the user experience. Following these objections, the government dropped the 10% threshold in the final rule notified in February 2026, retaining the conspicuous labeling requirements but without specifying the size or duration.
The second extension of the amendments to the controversial IT rules
The ministry, in the same notice on Tuesday, extended the deadline for public comments on the draft March 30 amendments to IT rules, which require social media platforms to adhere to government advice and submit user-generated news and current affairs content under the same regulatory framework as publishers, to May 7, marking the second such extension.
The consultation window was initially scheduled to close on 14 April, before being postponed to 29 April following requests from industry and civil society groups.
The controversial draft amendments would significantly increase government censorship of online content. One major change is that news and current affairs posts shared by individual users on social media can be edited, removed or even blocked in urgent cases. In effect, this brings user-generated content, including posts reshared by ordinary users, under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
The proposed changes could also bring features like Community Notes on platforms like X under government oversight.
The changes also expand the role of the Interdepartmental Committee (IDC). Instead of dealing only with formal complaints, the committee will be able to consider any ‘matter’, giving the government more flexibility to review and act on online content.
Another important provision seeks to make compliance with the guidelines, guidelines and directives issued by MeitY mandatory for brokers. By linking this compliance to the due diligence requirements under Section 79 of the IT Act, the proposal could strip platforms of their safe harbor protections if they fail to follow these directives. This turns what were previously treated as advisory in nature into mandatory obligations.
The draft also clarifies data retention standards, requiring platforms to retain user data for a minimum of 180 days, regardless of other legal provisions, and for a longer period if requested by authorities.
Separately, the Press Club of India called for a complete rollback of the draft rules, warning of the potential negative impact on freedom of expression.
