India Cracks Down on Digital Threats: New Rules Mandate Platform Accountability to Combat AI Deepfakes and Misinformation

India Cracks Down on Digital Threats: New Rules Mandate Platform Accountability to Combat AI Deepfakes and Misinformation​

Government Strengthens AI Regulation with Stricter Content Removal Timelines​

The Indian government has significantly fortified its framework against the rising threat of deepfakes and synthetic information generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Recognizing the need for a safe, trusted cyberspace, recent amendments to digital regulations impose rigorous new duties on online platforms. These updates address various forms of AI misuse, including synthetic audio, video, and text that threaten public order and individual privacy.

The government has meticulously mapped out its legal response through established statutes like the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). The BNS, particularly Section 353, is aimed at penalizing the spread of misinformation or false reports that can incite public mischief. Organized cybercrimes involving deepfake content are specifically addressed under section 111 of the BNS.

New Obligations for Intermediaries and Social Media Platforms​

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, have been bolstered to assign specific due diligence requirements to intermediaries. These rules mandate that platforms must not host or share information that misleads users through deep-fakes, impersonates individuals via AI, or harms national security.

Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs), defined as those with a user base of 50 lakhs or more in India, face heightened responsibilities. They are required to deploy automated tools to detect and limit the spread of unlawful content. SSMIs must also establish local compliance officers, publish compliance reports, and offer voluntary processes for internal appeals and fair hearings before any proactive action is taken.

Rapid Response Mechanisms: Compliance Timelines Slashed​

A critical development in the regulatory overhaul involves the dramatic reduction of response timelines. Effective immediately, intermediaries are required to adhere to much tighter schedules for content management upon receiving valid intimation from relevant authorities or courts.

The timeline for removing unlawful information has been significantly reduced, moving from 36 hours down to just 3 hours. Furthermore, grievance redressal timelines have been tightened: the standard grievance resolution period has decreased from 72 hours to 36 hours. For extremely sensitive matters, such as impersonation or non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), the response window is reduced even further, requiring action within 2 hours.

Advanced AI Tools and Initiatives for Deepfake Detection​

The regulatory push is paralleled by a robust focus on developing indigenous AI solutions to combat these digital threats. The Safe & Trusted AI pillar of the IndiaAI Mission prioritizes governance standards and tools designed specifically for deepfake detection.

Several advanced projects have been approved across educational institutions, including Saakshya (developed by IIT Jodhpur & IIT Madras), which is a multi-agent framework focused on deep fake detection. Other initiatives include AI Vishleshak for improving Audio-Visual forgery detection and real-time voice deepfake detection systems at IIT Kharagpur.

Focus on User Safety and Awareness Campaigns​

The government has invested substantially in building public awareness and grievance mechanisms to ensure user safety. A comprehensive Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project is actively generating human resources while raising general cyber hygiene awareness among the public.

So far, 6,650 awareness workshops have been conducted across the country, reaching over 11.37 lakh participants, including students, government personnel, and law enforcement agencies. Complementing this work, CERT-In regularly issues advisories on AI-related threats, maintaining a commitment to sensitizing internet users about protective measures against deepfakes.

Enhancing Cultural Heritage through Indigenous AI​

Beyond countering threats, the government is utilizing cutting-edge technology to preserve India’s vast cultural heritage. The Gyan Bharatam Web Portal employs advanced AI technologies, such as Large Language Script Models (LLSM) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR), enabling intelligent access to Indian manuscripts.

The 'BharatiyaGPT' feature on this portal transforms manuscript material into AI-ready knowledge, offering multilingual and multimodal access—including a "Talk to Manuscript" function—making India’s traditional knowledge highly accessible to researchers and the global public.