The Central Government just changed the rules around AI-generated content in India, and these changes are officially implemented from today onwards (February 20). Under the new rule, if you share AI-generated material on social media or anywhere online, it could hit your wallet.
The IT Ministry made this announcement on February 10th, 2026, as an update to the IT (Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. The government have spelt out exactly what counts as AI or synthetically generated content, and they are holding social media platforms accountable too. The rules clearly lay out what happens if you share this kind of content without following the guidelines.
Deepfake prevention: New rule
At the AI Impact Summit, PM Modi talked about the danger of deepfakes and fake content which are messing with society. He pushed for watermarking and more transparent source standards, and also called for extra care when it comes to protecting kids online.
Synthetically Generated (SGI) Content: What is it, and why is it dangerous?
According to the new IT rules, anything which is made by AI or computer tweaks and which looks like a real person, event or place is SGI – Synthetically Generated AI content.
Now, with the new rule, you have to label or watermark it before posting it on social media so that everyone can know that it is AI-made.
Note: Basic editing in any photo or video does not need an AI label.
3 big changes from the new IT Rules
There are three big changes here.
- First, labelling is now mandatory: You have to mark AI-generated content before sharing. Once you slap that “AI” label on a photo or video, it stays – no taking it off.
- Second, social media companies need to build tools to check if something is AI-generated: Nobody can upload this kind of content without going through verification.
- Third, every 3-months, platforms have to warn users that abusing AI could get them fined or punished.
These new rules are all about raising awareness.
Things strictly prohibited in new IT rules: Danger alert!
The most important is the no-go zone, where the government has drawn some hard lines. Content that is prohibited and is strictly off-limits in the new IT rules is:
- Child pornography
- Fake documents
- Electronic records
- Anything about weapons or ammunition
- Deepfake images or videos
Social media platforms have more responsibility
If the government tells the social media platforms to take something down, they have to do the needful within 3 hours from the raised concern. They will have to pull off the content that is being flagged from the old 36-hour window.
Platforms also have to use code to flag where the AI content was created, and they need to respond within 12 hours to violent or pornographic content involving children.
Consequences: What if you break these new AI rules?
Well, you should not think of breaking the above-mentioned rules, as you may face major legal trouble. If you violate the SGI or AI content regulations, you can be prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Indian Citizenship Act, or the POCSO Act.
But the government made one thing clear: if a platform uses automated tools to block access to SGI, that does not count as a violation of Section 79 of the IT Act. In fact, that is exactly what the rules expect them to do.
