The Indian government is preparing strict new rules to control the misuse of artificial intelligence content online. The focus is on making AI-generated images, videos, and text clearly identifiable through watermarking or labels. Officials say this step is necessary as AI tools are increasingly being misused for cybercrime, deepfakes, and sexually explicit content.
The move follows growing concerns over social unrest, women’s safety, and child protection. Draft rules have already been issued, and a final framework is expected soon.
Government AI Watermarking Rules To Curb Deepfakes & Cybercrime
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) has released draft provisions that would require all AI-generated content to carry a visible watermark or label.
According to Abhishek Singh (Abhishek Singh), additional secretary at the ministry and CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, such labelling is important because AI-created content is often used in cybercrime and deepfake creation.
He said unlabelled AI content can lead to serious law and order issues, social unrest, and even cases related to child sexual abuse. The proposed rules aim to discourage the spread of harmful AI-generated material before it causes damage.
These provisions are part of draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The government has reiterated its commitment to keeping the internet open, safe, trusted, and accountable while reducing the harm caused by synthetic or manipulated content.
Action Against AI-Generated Obscene Content On Social Media Platforms
The draft rules also place stronger responsibility on social media intermediaries like X and Instagram. The ministry recently issued a notice to X (X), owned by Elon Musk, directing it to remove obscene and unlawful content generated through its AI tool Grok (Grok).
The platform was warned of strict legal consequences under existing laws if it failed to comply. The ministry also sought an action-taken report within three days.
While X responded by outlining its policies on non-consensual sexual content, officials said no specific takedowns were reported, prompting further demands for action.
The issue gained momentum after Priyanka Chaturvedi (Priyanka Chaturvedi) raised concerns over AI tools being used to sexualise women’s images without consent.
Meanwhile, the UK communications regulator Ofcom (Ofcom) has also contacted xAI and is examining similar allegations.
The government says stronger enforcement and clearer rules are coming soon to prevent future misuse.
