The risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered deepfakes, which include synthetic text, audio, and video, are recognized by the Indian government.According to Press Information Bureau, a person’s dignity, reputation, and right to privacy can all be negatively impacted by such content. Concerns around platform responsibility are also brought up.
The Information Technology Act or the IT Act of 2000 includes offences such as impersonation (section 66D), identity theft (section 66C), invasions of privacy (section 66E), and the publication or transmission of pornographic or sexually explicit material (sections 67, 67A).Section 69A provides for the issuing of blocking orders to intermediaries in order to prevent access to particular data or links. Section 79 contains provisions for notifying intermediaries to remove information being utilized to conduct crimes.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) guarantees that user consent and appropriate security measures are taken while processing personal data by data fiduciaries, including AI firms. Under this Act, deepfakes that use personal information without authorization may be subject to fines.
Section 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)2023, which penalize producing false or misleading remarks, rumours, or reports that could incite public ire or fear, attempts to stop the spread of misinformation and disinformation.Under section 111, organized cybercrimes using deepfake content may also be penalized.
