SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)
The “Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021,” updated as of February 10, 2026, marks a major regulatory shift by introducing specific mandates for synthetic content and online gaming.
The new update (G.S.R. 120(E)) defines Synthetically Generated Information (deepfakes) and requires significant social media intermediaries (SSMIs) to ensure users declare such content, which must then be prominently labeled with metadata.
A newly established Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) will now provide a 30-day window for users to appeal decisions made by platform Grievance Officers.
Furthermore, Online Gaming Intermediaries face strict new requirements, including mandatory user identity verification (KYC), a visible mark of verification from a self-regulatory body, and a prohibition on enabling third-party financing for games. These rules reinforce a three-tier grievance redressal system while emphasizing the protection of constitutional rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21.
Key Pillars of the 2026 Digital Media Update The latest update introduces foundational pillars to address emerging technological and financial risks:
Mandatory Labeling of Synthetic Content (New): SSMIs must require users to declare if content is algorithmically created or modified and must use metadata or unique identifiers to label it prominently.
Grievance Appellate Committee (New): Establishing government-appointed committees to resolve user appeals against intermediary decisions within 30 calendar days via online dispute resolution.
Strict Online Gaming Due Diligence (New): Permissible real-money games must be verified by a designated self-regulatory body and implement clear policies for refunds, winnings, and addiction prevention.
Expedited Government Assistance (New): Online gaming intermediaries must now provide information or assistance to government agencies within 24 hours, down from the previous 72-hour window.
Three-Hour Takedown Rule (New): Intermediaries must remove unlawful information within three hours of receiving actual knowledge via court order or government intimation.
Specific Measures for Children and Women
The 2026 update significantly tightens the “safety net” for vulnerable groups, specifically targeting the misuse of synthetic tools.
For Children: Gaming and Parental Controls
Addiction and Financial Safeguards (New): Self-regulatory bodies must publish frameworks to prevent gaming addiction and protect children from fraud or financial loss in online real-money games.
Access Control Mechanisms (Earlier Provision): Platforms must continue to implement Parental Locks for content classified as U/A 13+ or higher to restrict age-inappropriate access.
Identity Verification (New): Online gaming intermediaries are now mandated to verify the identity of every user before accepting any deposits for permissible real-money games.
For Women: Combatting Synthetic Harassment
The Two-Hour “Red Line” (Earlier Provision): Intermediaries must act within two hours to remove content that exposes private areas, nudity, or sexual acts.
Protection Against Deepfakes (New): The definition of “Synthetically Generated Information” explicitly includes non-consensual intimate imagery, and intermediaries are now required to inform users of the legal penalties for sharing such content.
Bodily Privacy Grievances (Earlier Provision): Grievances related to content that is “insulting or harassing on the basis of gender” or invasive of bodily privacy must be acknowledged within 24 hours.
What is the “Grievance Appellate Committee” (GAC)? The Grievance Appellate Committee is a new statutory body established by the Central Government to handle appeals from users who are unsatisfied with the decisions made by a platform’s Grievance Officer. Consisting of a chairperson and two members, the GAC ensures that users have an independent pathway to contest content moderation or takedown decisions, with a mandate to resolve every appeal within 30 days through a transparent online process.
What is Synthetic Content? Synthetically Generated Information (or Synthetic Content) refers to audio, visual, or audio-visual information that has been artificially created, modified, or algorithmically altered using computer resources to appear authentic. This includes “deepfakes” such as non-consensual intimate imagery, false electronic records, or manipulated voice recordings designed to misrepresent a person’s identity or actions. Under the 2026 updates, significant social media intermediaries are now mandated to implement technical measures to identify, verify, and prominently label such content with unique metadata to prevent digital deception and harassment.
Policy Relevance
The 10.02.2026 update represents a transition from reactive content moderation to a “Pre-emptive and Appellate” accountability model. By institutionalizing the Grievance Appellate Committees and mandatory KYC for gaming, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is closing legal loopholes used by global and domestic platforms to avoid user accountability.
Strategic Impact:
Safeguarding the Digital Citizen: Explicitly requiring intermediaries to respect Articles 14, 19, and 21 ensures that the “Right to Life and Privacy” is protected even in the algorithm-driven digital sphere.
Dismantling the Synthetic Harassment Ecosystem: The combination of a two-hour takedown for intimate imagery and mandatory labeling for deepfakes provides a dual shield against gender-based digital violence.
Formalizing the Online Gaming Industry: The three-month grace period for self-regulatory bodies to organize provides a structural runway for a clean, wagering-free Indian gaming sector.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) utilize ‘Digital Public Infrastructure’ (DPI) to automate the ‘Metadata Labeling’ for synthetically generated content, ensuring that smaller Indian intermediaries can comply with the new 2026 mandates without excessive technical costs?
Follow the full rules here: MeitY: Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021 (Updated Feb 2026)