India: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology published guidance on Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules

On 10 February 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) published guidance on the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 120(E)), providing interpretative guidance on the due diligence framework for synthetically generated information (SGI). The guidance provides clarification on the definition and scope of SGI, outlines intermediaries' obligations to deploy reasonable technical measures to prevent unlawful synthetic content, such as deepfakes and deceptive impersonation, and explains labelling and metadata requirements for permissible SGI. The document further delineates the reduction of compliance timelines, encompassing 3-hour takedown obligations in instances of government or court orders and 2-hour removal requirements for complaints involving nudity, morphed content, or impersonation. The guidance also specifies enhanced ex-ante verification and labelling duties for Significant Social Media Intermediaries and confirms that compliant content removal does not affect safe harbour protections under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.