India: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology adopted Guidelines on due diligence by intermediaries and platforms under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021

On 15 March 2024, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) adopted a Guideline requiring all intermediaries and platforms to strengthen due diligence under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021. The guideline applies to all platforms operating in India, particularly those deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, large language models, or generative AI tools. It mandates safeguards to prevent the generation or dissemination of unlawful content, electoral interference, and algorithmic bias. It also requires clear labelling of under-tested AI systems, updated user terms outlining penalties for unlawful content, and permanent metadata tagging of AI-generated or modified content to enable traceability, including user attribution. Non-compliance may attract prosecution under the Information Technology Act and other applicable laws.