New Delhi: The government on Tuesday mooted stricter disclosure norms for AI-generated content, proposing tweaks to IT rules that would require clear and continuous labels identifying synthetically generated information to be visible throughout the entire duration of the visual display.
This would replace the earlier requirement of ensuring “prominent visibility” of AI labels under the IT Rules.
Adding this to the draft IT Rules amendment that, among other changes, also proposes to bring independent news creators on the Centre’s radar and mandate compliance with advisories — the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) has extended the deadline for stakeholder feedback to May 7 from the once-already-extended timeline of April 29, 2026.
“In addition to the draft amendments already placed in the public domain, further changes have been proposed in Rule 3(3)(a)(ii), which requires continuous and clearly visible display of label for synthetically generated information throughout the duration of the content in visual display,” the IT Ministry said in a notice.
In another notice, it said the wording “ensures prominent visibility in the visual display” will be substituted with the language: “ensures continuous and clearly visible display of such label throughout the duration of the content, in a visual display”.
The IT Ministry said it is placing the additional amendments in the public domain for consultation “in order to provide stakeholders an opportunity to examine and submit feedback on the additional changes along with the earlier draft amendments”.
The submissions will be held in fiduciary capacity in MeitY and not be disclosed to anyone at any stage, enabling persons to submit feedback/comments freely without any hesitation, the Ministry emphasised.
Earlier this year, the government tightened rules for social media platforms such as YouTube and X, mandating the takedown of unlawful content within three hours, and requiring clear labelling of all AI-generated and synthetic content. At that time, the government said the move was necessitated by the growing misuse of Artificial Intelligence to create and circulate obscene, deceptive, and fake content on social media platforms.
The changes proposed now extend the visibility of AI label display to the full duration of such content.
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), in a post on X, said: “… suggesting changes within the window of a pre-existing public consultation process in which thousands of Indians have voiced opposition is likely to result in, ‘consultation fatigue’ and at the very least demonstrates a pattern of ad-hoc policy making than one which accounts for structured and planned feedback”.
The digital advocacy group, which has been vocal in the past about IT Rule changes, also highlighted that the latest proposal will require labels identifying synthetically generated information to be continuously and clearly visible throughout the duration of the content in visual display, thus going beyond the earlier requirement of “prominent” visibility.
It “…now mandates persistent, uninterrupted disclosure for the entire duration of such content. This requirement is applicable to all users of social media and AI tools, and not just digital news platforms,” IFF said.
The Centre’s proposed amendments to IT Rules also seek to bring ‘news and current affairs content’ posted by non-publisher users, such as influencers and content creators, under the legal framework, like one that currently applies to registered news publishers.
On April 7, amid a public outcry over this, MeitY met social media platforms and civil society groups on their concerns, with IT Secretary S Krishnan later asserting that the ministry is “open” to suggestions. Krishnan had also said that the government is working within the framework of the regulations and the constitution.
Another flashpoint in the draft amendments to IT rules is the proposal to mandate intermediaries’ compliance with IT Ministry-issued clarifications, advisories, SOPs and guidelines – a move that the civil society has pushed back against, saying it is akin to bringing information instruments not part of the parent statute into a legal ambit.
