MeitY has amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (principal rules: G.S.R. 139(E), 25.02.2021; last amended G.S.R. 775(E), 22.10.2025).

Rule 2 inserts definitions of “audio, visual or audio-visual information” and “synthetically generated information,” and clarifies that “information” under Rules 3 and 4 includes synthetically generated information. Rule 3 introduces due-diligence obligations for intermediaries on synthetically generated information, including user disclosures, labelling, and metadata requirements, and reduces certain compliance timelines: “thirty-six hours” to “within three hours,” “fifteen days” to “seven days,” “seventy-two hours” to “thirty-six hours,” and “twenty-four hours” to “two hours.” Rule 4 requires significant social media intermediaries to obtain and verify user declarations on synthetically generated content and mandates “appropriate technical measures” in place of “endeavour to deploy technology-based measures.” Rule 7 replaces reference to “the Indian Penal Code” with “the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023).” Signed by Ajit Kumar, Joint Secretary.
“for the words ‘thirty-six hours’, the words ‘within three hours’ shall be substituted”; “for the words ‘fifteen days’, the words ‘seven days’ shall be substituted”; “for the words ‘seventy-two hours’, the words ‘thirty-six hours’ shall be substituted”; “for the words ‘twenty-four hours’, the words ‘two hours’ shall be substituted”; “for the words ‘the Indian Penal Code’, the words, figures and brackets ‘the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023)’ shall be substituted.”