India Proposes Mandatory AI-Generated Content Labelling Amid Deepfake Surge

India has proposed comprehensive amendments to its Information Technology rules to regulate AI-generated content, aiming to combat the spread of deepfakes and misinformation on social media platforms. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology mandates visible labeling of AI-generated content covering at least 10% of the visual area or the initial 10% of audio duration, with platforms and users sharing responsibility for disclosures. These rules also require embedding non-removable metadata to ensure traceability and transparency, and platforms may remove unlabeled synthetic content. The move reflects concerns over the misuse of AI tools to influence elections, damage reputations, and spread falsehoods, as seen recently in political deepfake videos during elections in India. This initiative aligns with similar regulatory efforts globally, including those in the European Union and China, which are also updating their frameworks to address AI safety, ethics, and personal data protection. The proposed regulations are open for public feedback until early November and are expected to significantly impact major tech companies operating in India, such as OpenAI, Meta, Google, and X.