What are the India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content compliance deadlines?

Feb 20, 2026: Synthetic content rules take effect.

When does India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content take effect?

India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content took effect on Feb 20, 2026.

Who does India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content apply to?

Intermediaries under the IT Act 2000 operating in India, with added duties for significant social media intermediaries and for services that let users create or alter synthetic content.

What are the penalties under India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content?

Intermediaries that fail due diligence lose the safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act and can be liable for user content. Other penalties follow the IT Act and criminal law.

India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content

In force India · In force Feb 20, 2026 · no upcoming deadlines

Official text

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Deadlines

Takes effectFeb 20 · 8 months ago · Source

Synthetic content rules take effectSGI labeling, user declaration and verification duties, and the shorter 3 hour, 36 hour and 2 hour takedown timelines apply.

Summaries for reference, not legal advice. Check the official text.

What it does

Amends India's IT Rules 2021 to regulate synthetically generated information (AI-made or AI-altered audio, images and video). Intermediaries that enable such content must label it prominently, keep labels and metadata from being removed, and significant social media intermediaries must get a user declaration and verify it. Takedown clocks are cut sharply: 3 hours after a court or government order, 36 hours for certain grievances, and 2 hours for intimate or morphed images.

Who it applies to: Intermediaries under the IT Act 2000 operating in India, with added duties for significant social media intermediaries and for services that let users create or alter synthetic content.
Penalties: Intermediaries that fail due diligence lose the safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act and can be liable for user content. Other penalties follow the IT Act and criminal law.
Enforced by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Official name: Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026
Citation: G.S.R. 120(E), Gazette of India Extraordinary No. 114, 10 Feb 2026
Topics: AI, Online safety

Verified 2026-09-25 meity.gov.in meity.gov.in meity.gov.in

Research notes

Notified 10 Feb 2026 after a draft published for consultation in October 2025. A corrigendum (G.S.R. 148(E)) was published on 26 Feb 2026. MeitY issued FAQs on the same date as the notification.

AmendedAustralia

Australia Online Safety ActSets up the eSafety Commissioner and removal schemes for cyber-bullying of children, adult cyber-abuse, non-consensual intimate images and abhorrent violent material. It also sets Basic Online Safety Expectations with reporting duties, and binding industry codes and standards. The Unlawful Material codes and standards cover class 1A and 1B material such as child sexual exploitation and pro-terror content. The Age-Restricted Material codes cover class 1C and class 2 material such as online pornography, and require age assurance and other measures to protect children.In effect since Jan 23, 2022

AmendedAustralia

Australia Privacy ActAustralia's federal privacy law (13 Australian Privacy Principles, Notifiable Data Breaches scheme). The 2024 amendment adds a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, tiered civil penalties and infringement notices, a mandate for a Children's Online Privacy Code, clearer security duties, and privacy-policy transparency for substantially automated decisions from 10 December 2026. It also adds criminal doxxing offences.Next: Dec 10 Children's Online Privacy Code must be registered · in 44 days

In forceAustralia

Australia Social Media Minimum AgeRequires providers of age-restricted social media platforms to take reasonable steps to stop Australians under 16 from having accounts. Platforms may not rely only on government ID for age assurance, and must protect data collected for age checks and destroy it after use. eSafety has named platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and Kick.In effect since Dec 10, 2025

In forceChina

China AI Content Labeling MeasuresRequires generative AI service providers to add explicit (visible) labels to AI-generated text, images, audio, video and virtual scenes, and implicit labels (metadata) to generated files. Content distribution platforms must detect and label AI-generated content, and app stores must check labeling functions when apps are listed. A mandatory national standard (GB 45438-2025) takes effect on the same date.In effect since Sep 1, 2025

In forceChina

China Algorithmic Recommendation ProvisionsRegulates recommendation, ranking, personalization, generation and dispatch algorithms used in internet services in China. Users must be able to switch off personalized recommendations and manage tags, and providers may not use algorithms for price discrimination or to induce addiction. Providers with public opinion attributes or social mobilization capacity must file their algorithms with the CAC within 10 working days of launching a service.In effect since Mar 1, 2022

In forceChina

China Anthropomorphic AI MeasuresRegulates AI companion and emotional interaction services that simulate human personality. Providers must tell users they are talking to AI, remind users after every 2 hours of use, intervene in crises such as self-harm, offer easy exit, and may not offer virtual partner or relative services to minors. Users' interaction data may not be shared or used for training on sensitive data without consent, and services with 1 million registered or 100,000 monthly active users need a security assessment filed with the provincial CAC.In effect since Jul 15, 2026

AmendedChina

China Cybersecurity LawChina's base cybersecurity statute: multi-level protection scheme duties for network operators, localization and security review duties for critical information infrastructure (CII) operators, and content controls. The 2025 amendment, in force from 1 January 2026, adds AI governance support, ties PI processing to PIPL, allows fines on first violations and sharply raises maximum fines.In effect since Jun 1, 2017

In forceChina

China Deep Synthesis ProvisionsRegulates deepfakes and other deep synthesis services such as synthetic text, voice cloning, face swapping and immersive scenes. Providers must verify user identity, review content, add technical marks to generated content, and add prominent labels where content could confuse the public. Providers with public opinion attributes must file algorithms, and app stores must check filings and security assessments.In effect since Jan 10, 2023

Questions about India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content

What are the India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content compliance deadlines?: Feb 20, 2026: Synthetic content rules take effect.
When does India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content take effect?: India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content took effect on Feb 20, 2026.
Who does India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content apply to?: Intermediaries under the IT Act 2000 operating in India, with added duties for significant social media intermediaries and for services that let users create or alter synthetic content.
What are the penalties under India IT Rules amendment on synthetic content?: Intermediaries that fail due diligence lose the safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act and can be liable for user content. Other penalties follow the IT Act and criminal law.

Deadlines

What it does

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