India Tightens Grip on Deepfakes and AI Content with New IT Rules

India has issued new amendments to its Information Technology (IT) Rules from 2021, demanding that social media platforms enhance their monitoring and management of deepfakes and other AI-generated content. These rules, published in a government gazette on Tuesday, aim to establish a formal regulatory framework. Key details include:

• Immediate Implementation: Platforms must comply with takedown orders within three hours for official requests and within two hours for urgent user complaints.
• Deepfake Regulation: All AI-generated audio-visual content must be labeled and embedded with traceable data.
• Legal Consequences: Non-compliance with these rulings could lead to loss of safe harbor protections, thus increasing potential legal liabilities for companies.
• Global Implications: Given India's massive internet user base and growing market, these measures could influence global companies like Meta and YouTube.

Critiques and Concerns:

• Automated Overreach: Rohit Kumar and New Delhi’s Internet Freedom Foundation have raised concerns about the feasibility of these rapid takedown timelines, potentially leading to over-removal and encroaching on free speech rights.
• Limited Consultation: Industry feedback suggests that the government did not incorporate wider consultation or a broad array of stakeholder recommendations, focusing instead narrowly on AI content.

These changes come amidst longstanding debates over India’s content regulation practices, adding complexity and urgency to compliance efforts ahead of their enactment on February 20, coinciding with India’s AI Impact Summit.