Overview
- IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government is in active discussions with major platforms on age-based access and stronger guardrails for AI-generated deepfakes.
- No final threshold has been set, though an under‑16 restriction is being considered through possible IT Rules changes, while the DPDP Act already requires verifiable parental consent for users under 18.
- Recent IT Rules amendments tightened synthetic media obligations, including mandatory labeling of AI content and takedowns of deepfakes within three hours.
- Global moves are informing India’s approach, with Australia enforcing an under‑16 ban and France, Spain and the UK advancing proposals, as France’s President Emmanuel Macron publicly welcomed India’s push.
- Digital-rights advocates warn large-scale age checks could be unreliable and intrusive, states and courts have urged reviews, and the Centre is also pressing platforms to ensure fair remuneration for conventional media content.