India's 2026 IT Rules On Synthetic Media: A Structural Shift In Intermediary Liability

India's 2026 IT Rules on Synthetic Media: A Structural Shift in Intermediary Liability

I. Introduction

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ("MeitY") has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 ("IT Amendment Rules 2026") on 10 February 2026, effective from 20 February 2026. The amendments introduce a structured compliance framework governing AI-generated and synthetically altered content across digital platforms in India.

Although positioned as a response to the growing risks of deepfakes and online harms, the amendments extend beyond content moderation. They significantly recalibrate the regulatory expectations placed on intermediaries, shifting the framework from a reactive notice-and-takedown model to one requiring proactive oversight, verification, labelling and technical safeguards.