Nearly six months after tightening rules governing AI-generated content, the Centre has provided Parliament with its most detailed update on how the framework is being implemented, outlining enforcement measures, platform obligations, and new cybercrime investigation data as concerns about deepfakes grow.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada stated in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on August 5 that the government is committed to ensuring an “open, safe, trusted, and accountable cyberspace” through a combination of existing laws, strengthened intermediary obligations, and AI governance measures.
While the answer does not establish new rules, it presents a unified implementation update after the modifications to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, notified on February 10, 2026.
The new guidelines require intermediaries to explicitly mark legal AI-produced content and keep traceable information to assist consumers in identifying synthetically generated material. Platforms must also raise user awareness about the legal ramifications of creating or sharing unauthorized AI-generated material.
The laws specifically address dangerous AI-generated content, such as child sexual exploitation material, non-consensual intimate images, impersonation, and other types of synthetic content that violate Indian law. Intermediaries are expected to use suitable technical steps, including automated tools as needed, to prevent such content from being generated, published, or distributed.
The government has emphasized one of the most significant operational changes: a decrease in compliance deadlines. Following the revisions, intermediaries must delete unlawful content within three hours of obtaining a legitimate court order or a reasoned notification from the competent authority, rather than the previous 36-hour period.
Grievance resolution times have also been tightened. Complaints on sensitive topics such as nudity and impersonation must now be resolved within two hours, while the timetable for other grievance categories has also been reduced.
The government reaffirmed that Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) must take proactive technical measures to identify content portraying rape, child sexual abuse, or content that has already been deleted for breaking the law.
The legislative response also emphasized that intermediaries who fail to comply with these due diligence responsibilities risk losing the safe harbour protection provided by Section 79 of the Information Technology Act of 2000, rendering them liable for action under relevant laws.
Along with the implementation update, the government provided new data on cybercrime enforcement via the Samanvaya platform, which facilitates interstate cybercrime investigations. According to the response, the platform’s Pratibimb module has already assisted the arrest of 12,987 accused, discovered 1,51,984 criminal links, and supported 70,584 cyber investigation assistance requests, assisting law enforcement in dismantling organised cyber fraud networks.
The Centre also emphasized the importance of multiple enforcement mechanisms, such as the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the SAHYOG portal for sending automated takedown notices to intermediaries, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, Grievance Appellate Committees, and CERT-In, in combating illegal online content, including deepfakes.
The response also provided an overview of the larger legal framework available for prosecuting synthetic media crimes. These include laws under the Information Technology Act of 2000 about identity theft, impersonation, privacy breaches, and obscene content, as well as measures under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of 2023 dealing with cheating by personation, forgery, disinformation, and organized cybercrime.
Regarding AI governance, the government emphasized that India has chosen a risk-based approach through the India AI Governance Guidelines, which were announced in November 2025. It also highlighted continuing work under the IndiaAI Mission’s Safe & Trusted AI pillar, such as deepfake detection research programs at IIT Jodhpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Kharagpur.
The government also stated that it will issue multiple advisories to intermediaries in 2026 regarding the handling of AI-generated misinformation and harmful synthetic content, while continuing public awareness campaigns through initiatives such as Cyber Security Awareness Month, Cyber Jagrookta Diwas, and Safer Internet Day.
Although the parliamentary response does not announce any new legislative measures, it is the government’s first detailed status update since the February amendments, indicating that the revised compliance framework for AI-generated content has entered the implementation phase and reinforcing online platforms’ responsibilities in combating deepfakes.
