AI content labelling in India: MeitY proposes continuous on-screen labels under IT Rules

The Centre has floated tighter disclosure rules for AI-generated and synthetic content under draft IT Rules changes. The proposal asks platforms to show labels for such content without breaks. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) also extended the public feedback deadline to May 7. The earlier date was April 29, 2026, after one extension.

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MeitY said extra edits are now proposed beyond the draft already published. The added changes focus on Rule 33aii. MeitY said it is releasing these additions for consultation. The Ministry said people can review them and send comments. It also stressed submissions will stay confidential inside MeitY.

IT Rules amendment tightens AI-generated content labels

Under the new wording, labels must stay visible for the full time a visual appears. MeitY said the previous line will change. It earlier asked platforms to "ensures prominent visibility in the visual display\". MeitY said it will be replaced with: \"ensures continuous and clearly visible display of such label throughout the duration of the content, in a visual display.\"

MeitY said the extra changes will sit alongside the earlier draft amendments. The notice said Rule 33aii will now require \"continuous and clearly visible display\" of labels. The goal is to keep the label on-screen for the whole clip. The Ministry said this replaces the earlier approach of making labels only prominent.

Earlier this year, the government tightened rules for platforms like YouTube and X. Those steps required unlawful content to be removed within three hours. They also required clear labels for all AI-generated and synthetic content. The government then linked the move to rising misuse of AI. It cited obscene, deceptive, and fake posts.

IT Rules amendment draws response from Internet Freedom Foundation

Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) criticised how the change was introduced during consultation. In a post on X, IFF said: \"... suggesting changes within the window of a pre-existing public consultation process in which thousands of Indians have voiced opposition is likely to result in, consultation fatigue and at the very least demonstrates a pattern of ad-hoc policy making than one which accounts for structured and planned feedback.\"

The group also said the proposal goes beyond the older standard of prominence. IFF said it \"...now mandates persistent, uninterrupted disclosure for the entire duration of such content.\" IFF added the rule will apply widely. It said the label requirement will cover all users of social media and AI tools. It said it is not limited to digital news.

IT Rules amendment expands scrutiny of news and creator content

The draft also aims to cover news and current affairs posts by non-publisher users. This includes influencers and content creators. The proposal would bring such users under a framework like the one for registered news publishers. The changes also seek to place independent news creators on the Centre’s radar. It would also require compliance with advisories.

On April 7, MeitY met social media platforms and civil society groups after objections. IT Secretary S Krishnan later said the Ministry is open to suggestions. Krishnan also said the government is working within the constitution and the regulations. The meeting followed public concern over how the draft treats creator-led news content.

Another disputed part of the draft targets intermediaries and compliance duties. The proposal asks intermediaries to follow MeitY clarifications, advisories, SOPs, and guidelines. Civil society groups have opposed this. They argue it would pull tools not in the parent law into legal force. MeitY has kept the consultation open until May 7.

With inputs from PTI