MeitY proposes clarificatory amendments to IT Rules, 2021 to strengthen intermediary compliance, expand oversight of digital content and introduce obligations for synthetically generated information

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) has released draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules, 2021”), and has invited stakeholder comments on the proposed changes. The Draft amendment have been published for stakeholder consultation and may be finalized after considering objections or suggestions received within 14^th April, 2026. Comments and suggestions on the Draft should be mailed at itrules.consultation@meity.gov.in in MS Word or PDF format. The draft amendments seek to clarify existing provisions and introduce additional compliance requirements for intermediaries, along with changes relating to oversight of digital media content.

Key Highlights:

1. The amendments clarify that intermediary obligations relating to retention of information will continue to apply alongside requirements under other applicable laws.
2. Intermediaries are proposed to be required to comply with clarifications, advisories, directions, standard operating procedures and guidelines issued by MeitY, with such compliance forming part of due diligence obligations.
3. A new compliance framework is proposed for synthetically generated information, requiring intermediaries to deploy technical measures to prevent unlawful content, ensure labelling of such content, and maintain traceability through metadata or identifiers.
4. The timelines for removal or disabling access to unlawful content upon receipt of valid legal directions are proposed to be reduced, requiring intermediaries to act within a shorter duration.
5. Intermediaries are proposed to be required to periodically inform users about platform rules, consequences of non-compliance and applicable legal liabilities, including in relation to synthetically generated content.
6. The applicability of digital media provisions is proposed to be clarified to cover intermediaries hosting news and current affairs content through non-publisher users.
7. The scope of the Inter-Departmental Committee is proposed to include examination of matters referred by the Ministry in addition to complaints.

Source: MeitY