Centre tightens rules to combat AI-generated deepfakes

The Centre has enacted or strengthened rules including IT Rules to curb AI generated deepfakes, and reduced timelines for removal of unlawful content, an official statement said on Thursday.

Intermediaries are now required to take down unlawful information upon intimation within three hours instead of 36, and grievance redressal deadlines have been cut from 24 hours to two hours for sensitive cases such as nudity or impersonation, MoS, Electronics and IT said Jitin Prasada. The government remains conscious of the threats posed by deepfakes powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), including synthetic audio, video and text, the minister said. It has strengthened the regulatory framework through amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 to address harms arising from synthetically generated information (SGI), including deepfakes and AI-generated content.

Intermediaries are required to ensure clear labelling and traceable metadata for permissible AI-generated content, so that users can easily identify synthetically generated material and prevent misuse. It strengthens user accountability and platform due diligence, including mandatory user awareness regarding legal consequences of unlawful AI-generated content.