FROM AI-GENERATED INTIMACY TO CHILD-SAFETY CONTROLS: NCPCR SUMMONS GOOGLE AS INDIA SETS DECEMBER DEADLINE FOR DIGITAL PROTECTION RULES
October 14, 2026
India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has summoned Google for a meeting later this month over artificial intelligence-powered applications that can generate intimate images and videos of real people without verifying their consent. The child-rights body has also announced plans to introduce new guidelines for social media, gaming and artificial intelligence platforms by December, signalling a broader regulatory push to strengthen online safeguards for children.
NCPCR Member-Secretary Sanjeev Sharma confirmed on Wednesday that the commission had taken up the issue after concerns emerged about AI-powered “kiss and hug” applications available on the Google Play Store. The applications allow users to upload photographs of real people and generate videos depicting them kissing or embracing, potentially without the knowledge or permission of the individuals whose images are used.
The commission’s decision follows an investigation highlighting how such applications can generate intimate visual content without an effective mechanism for establishing consent. The findings have raised concerns about the misuse of personal photographs, the exposure of children to sexualised material and the adequacy of existing safeguards governing AI-generated content.
Sharma said the commission had already held consultations with relevant stakeholders and was preparing guidelines intended to address these concerns. The proposed framework is expected to establish age-assurance controls for social media platforms, introduce reporting options for short-video formats such as Reels and prescribe stronger safeguards across digital services, including those using generative AI.
The guidelines are expected to be issued by December. Officials indicated that the framework would remain dynamic, allowing the Ministry of Women and Child Development and other relevant bodies to make further additions as emerging technologies and online risks evolve.
AI ‘KISS AND HUG’ APPS TRIGGER REGULATORY SCRUTINY
The immediate concern centres on applications that convert ordinary photographs into artificially generated intimate videos. Although marketed as entertainment or novelty products, these tools can be used to create misleading depictions of real individuals without their consent.
The applications typically require users to upload one or two photographs before generating a short video. Some display reminders asking users to obtain permission from the people pictured, but such notices do not necessarily establish whether consent has actually been granted.
The investigation identified dozens of such applications on Google Play in India, several of which had reportedly accumulated more than a million downloads. Some carried age ratings that permitted access by children as young as three, despite offering features designed to generate romantic or intimate imagery.
The concerns extend beyond the generation of synthetic videos. Questions have also been raised about the labelling of AI-generated material, the handling of uploaded photographs, subscription practices and whether personal images may be shared with third parties.
A particularly significant concern is the absence of effective consent verification. A person’s photograph can be uploaded by another user, potentially transforming an ordinary image into an intimate visual depiction without the subject’s permission. This creates risks of harassment, reputational damage, sexual exploitation and the circulation of misleading digital material.
The NCPCR’s intervention places responsibility on both application providers and the platforms distributing their products. The commission’s proposed guidelines are intended to strengthen child-safety protections across the digital ecosystem rather than concentrate exclusively on conventional social networking services.
GUIDELINES CHOSEN OVER NEW LEGISLATION
Sharma said the commission had opted to formulate guidelines rather than immediately pursue new legislation because the legislative process would take longer. A statutory amendment would require parliamentary consideration, whereas guidelines could be introduced more quickly and subsequently refined through continuing consultations.
The approach is based on what Sharma described as “co-regulation”, under which government agencies, technology companies and other stakeholders share responsibility for ensuring online safety.
The proposed framework is expected to address age assurance, reporting mechanisms, AI-generated content and protections for young users. Its dynamic structure would allow additional requirements to be introduced as new risks emerge or existing safeguards prove inadequate.
Age assurance is particularly important because parental controls and content restrictions depend partly on whether platforms can reliably establish the age of their users. If an application is incorrectly rated for young children, existing parental-control arrangements may fail to prevent exposure to material that is inappropriate for their age.
The proposed guidelines seek to strengthen those safeguards while recognising that online risks are not confined to social media. Gaming services, AI-powered applications and other digital products can also expose children to harmful content or enable misuse of personal information.
NCPCR DEVELOPS AI TOOL TO DETECT CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL
Alongside the guidelines, the commission is developing an artificial intelligence-based tool designed to proactively identify and help remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) circulating online.
The tool is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. According to Sharma, it will be shared with state police departments so that authorities can take appropriate action against individuals responsible for producing or distributing illegal material.
The initiative reflects the commission’s concern about the growing scale of online child exploitation and the difficulty of identifying harmful material across large digital platforms.
At a review meeting on Monday, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi directed the NCPCR to accelerate both the AI detection tool and the proposed child-safety guidelines.
The plan envisages a more proactive approach to identifying abusive material, rather than relying solely on complaints from victims, parents or other users. Its effectiveness will depend on the tool’s technical capabilities, the procedures used to verify flagged material and the ability of law-enforcement agencies to act on relevant information.
The use of AI in this context also raises important implementation requirements. Detection systems must be designed to identify prohibited content reliably, protect sensitive information and ensure that flagged material is handled through appropriate legal and investigative procedures.
EARLIER EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY
The latest initiative builds on the commission’s earlier engagement with major digital platforms. In 2024, the NCPCR met representatives of Google, YouTube, X, Snapchat, ShareChat, Reddit and Bumble, among others, asking them to develop mechanisms for obtaining parental consent before processing minors’ personal data and to submit reports on the measures taken.
The issue has gained further significance with the implementation schedule for India’s Digital Personal Data Protection framework. Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, platforms will be required to obtain verifiable parental consent before processing the personal data of individuals under 18 from May 2027.
The proposed December guidelines are intended to strengthen the broader online-safety framework ahead of that deadline, including through safeguards addressing AI-generated material and children’s exposure to inappropriate applications.
However, the legal position concerning standalone AI image and video generators remains unsettled. India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, seek to regulate synthetically generated information, including realistic AI-generated images, audio and video, but questions remain over whether and how those provisions apply to applications that generate content without functioning as conventional social media intermediaries.
That uncertainty has added urgency to the NCPCR’s proposed guidelines. The commission is seeking to address vulnerabilities across a range of digital products while the precise scope of existing regulatory obligations continues to be examined.
A BROADER TEST OF INDIA’S DIGITAL CHILD-PROTECTION FRAMEWORK
The planned meeting with Google will bring the distribution of AI-generated intimate-content applications under direct regulatory scrutiny. It also raises questions about the responsibilities of app stores when products available to children can generate intimate depictions of real people without verifying consent.
The proposed guidelines could establish clearer expectations concerning age ratings, reporting systems, synthetic-content safeguards and the responsibilities of companies offering AI-powered features. Their eventual impact will depend on the specific requirements adopted, the degree of cooperation from technology companies and the mechanisms available for monitoring compliance.
The commission’s parallel development of an AI-based detection tool reflects a growing emphasis on using technology to identify harmful material before it spreads widely. Yet detection alone cannot address every risk associated with intimate-image generation. Consent verification, appropriate age restrictions, effective complaint mechanisms and responsible handling of uploaded photographs will remain important elements of prevention.
With Google summoned for a meeting later this month, the December deadline for the guidelines approaching and the child-safety detection tool under development, India’s response is moving towards a broader framework for digital protection.
The central challenge is to ensure that advances in generative AI do not make it easier to exploit children or create intimate depictions of people without their consent. The NCPCR’s proposed measures seek to place greater responsibility on the companies building, hosting and distributing these technologies, while creating mechanisms through which regulators and law-enforcement agencies can respond more effectively to online abuse.
