Deepfakes Face 2 Hours

Sector6  Feb 11, 2026 The bi-weekly newsletter by AIM that brings the biggest shifts shaping IT, AI, and GCCs. Deepfakes Face 2 Hours The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has moved decisively from advisories to enforcement, signalling that the era of gentle nudges is over. And with that, deepfakes are finally being brought under tighter control in the country. By Mohit Pandey In a late evening gazette notification on Tuesday, the sort that tends to land once newsrooms are winding down, the government rolled out a sharp new mandate: clear labels for photorealistic AI-generated content, and cut takedown timelines for illegal and sensitive material. In some cases, as little as two hours.  Platforms that fail to comply risk losing safe harbour protections under the Government of India's intermediary liability framework—a powerful incentive to move fast. The amended rules come into force on February 20. The headline change is speed. Platforms must now act on government or court orders within three hours. Until now, they had up to 36 hours. For sensitive content such as non-consensual nudity and deepfakes, the window is even tighter at two hours. For Big Tech and Indian social networks alike, this effectively turns moderation into a real-time operation. The amendments fall under the Information Technology intermediary guidelines. They introduce a formal definition for what the government calls "synthetically generated content". The definition covers any audio, visual, or audio-visual material that is artificially or algorithmically created or altered in a way that appears real and indistinguishable from an actual person or event. In plain terms, if it looks real, it must be treated as real. That includes photorealistic deepfakes, cloned voices, and AI-altered videos that could mislead viewers. There is a narrow carve-out. Routine touch-ups automatically applied by smartphone cameras will not count. Officials said the final wording is tighter than the broader draft circulated in October 2025. AIM Network >> India is stepping onto the global AI stage at a decisive moment. The India AI Impact Summit 2026 comes as the country makes its strongest push yet towards building sovereign AI—from foundational models and sector-specific AI systems to large-scale GPU infrastructure and national data capabilities. Developers, Alert! AMD AI Engage is Here >> Join AMD AI Engage, an AMD-led initiative for developers and AI enthusiasts. Strengthen your AI skills, participate in challenges, and unlock opportunities for advanced certification experiences with AMD and industry experts. Register now. Disclosure is now mandatory. Platforms must actively seek confirmation from users on whether the content is AI-generated. If users fail to disclose and the content appears synthetic, companies must either add a prominent label themselves or take it down altogether, particularly in cases such as non-consensual deepfakes. An earlier draft had proposed that labels should cover 10% of an image. After pushbacks from platforms, that requirement has been relaxed. The word "prominently" remains, giving companies flexibility but also placing the onus squarely on them. Beneath these operational changes sits significant legal risk. Failure to comply can strip platforms of safe harbour protections. Without that shield, intermediaries can be treated as publishers and held directly liable for user posts. The notification makes it clear: if an intermediary knowingly permits or fails to act against prohibited synthetic content, it will be deemed not to have exercised due diligence. This marks a sharp escalation. The government is not just asking platforms to moderate more quickly; it is explicitly linking compliance to legal immunity. There is also an administrative tweak that widens enforcement capacity. A previous amendment limited each state to a single authorised officer empowered to issue takedown orders. States can now designate multiple officers, a move officials say is necessary for larger populations. Taken together, the message is clear. AI content must be labelled. Harmful deepfakes must be removed within hours. Court and government orders must be executed almost immediately. And platforms that hesitate risk losing their legal shield. For social media companies, this translates into higher costs and operational strain. Stronger detection systems, round-the-clock moderation teams, and faster internal escalation will become essential. For creators and users, it reduces ambiguity around AI media and narrows the window for synthetic content to circulate unchecked. 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