India to crack down on deepfakes, new rule may force companies to label AI-generated content

India is preparing to enact new laws to combat the growing threat of deepfakes on the internet. According to reports, the government on Wednesday put out new rules that would require social media companies and developers of artificial intelligence (AI) to mark any content produced by AI. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the action was taken in reaction to the “significant growth” in the improper use of generative AI tools for malicious purposes, disinformation campaigns, electoral manipulation, and impersonation.

Under the proposed rules, social media companies would also be required to ensure that users declare if they are uploading deepfake material. The rules are aimed at creating greater transparency and accountability in how AI-generated content is shared online. With nearly a billion internet users, India faces a particularly high risk of harm from manipulated media—especially in a country as diverse as India, where misinformation can inflame communal tensions or disrupt democratic processes. Officials say the proposal aims to safeguard citizens from deceptive and potentially harmful content while preserving trust in digital ecosystems.

A growing threat to internet safety and information integrity are deepfakes, which are realistic-looking but artificial intelligence-generated movies, audio, or photos. Once limited to satire or entertainment, these tools are now being used as weapons for character assassination, scams, and political propaganda. The government would require platforms and AI companies to explicitly identify and label such content under this proposed rule, ensuring that users are aware when they are seeing content that has been created or altered by AI.

Remarkably, India is not the only nation enacting legislation to regulate deepfakes produced by AI. To stop the spread of misleading AI-generated content, governments from all over the world, including the US and the EU, are considering or implementing comparable labeling regulations. With more than a billion internet users, India has also seen the detrimental effects of deepfakes, such as the proliferation of false information during elections.

India’s IT regulations, which are being revised to take into consideration new threats posed by AI technologies, would include the proposed draft regulation. Officials are allegedly in talks with tech companies, AI developers, and civil society organizations to design the final framework, even though the government has not yet specified the enforcement procedures or sanctions for non-compliance.

The responsibilities of internet platforms operating in India could be drastically altered if the new commitments are accepted. AI developers may be subject to additional disclosure rules for their tools, and social media businesses may need to create or incorporate automated systems that can recognize content produced by AI.