{"id":8524,"date":"2025-09-11T07:24:44","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T07:24:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T05:04:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T05:04:38","slug":"regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/","title":{"rendered":"Regulation Of Deepfakes And Synthetic Media-Legal Gaps And Proposals"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deepfakes_and_Indian_Law_%E2%80%94_Readability_Improved\"><\/span>Deepfakes and Indian Law \u2014 Readability Improved<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><main class=\"container\"><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Deepfakes_and_Indian_Law_%E2%80%94_Readability_Improved\" >Deepfakes and Indian Law \u2014 Readability Improved<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#What_Are_Deepfakes_and_Synthetic_Media\" >What Are Deepfakes and Synthetic Media?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Current_Legal_Framework_in_India\" >Current Legal Framework in India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Information_Technology_Act_2000\" >Information Technology Act, 2000<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Bharatiya_Nyaya_Sanhita_2023\" >Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Intermediary_Liability\" >Intermediary Liability<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Global_Approaches\" >Global Approaches<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#European_Union\" >European Union<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#United_States\" >United States<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#China\" >China<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#United_Kingdom\" >United Kingdom<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Legal_Gaps_in_India\" >Legal Gaps in India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Judicial_and_Policy_Developments\" >Judicial and Policy Developments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Proposals_for_Reform\" >Proposals for Reform<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/regulation-of-deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-legal-gaps-and-proposals\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Technology today allows us to create almost anything on a screen. With artificial intelligence, videos, photos, and even voices can be fabricated so convincingly that it becomes nearly impossible to tell what is real. These are called <strong>deepfakes<\/strong>\u2014a form of synthetic media.<\/p>\n<p>While such tools can be useful in films, education, or accessibility projects, they are more often linked with harm. Deepfakes have been misused in India and abroad to create non-consensual intimate videos, political propaganda, financial scams, and reputational attacks.<\/p>\n<p>India does not yet have a specific law on deepfakes. Victims rely on scattered provisions of the <em>Information Technology Act, 2000<\/em> (IT Act), the <em>Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023<\/em> (BNS), and the IT Rules, 2021. But these laws were not drafted with artificial intelligence in mind. This article explains how Indian law currently deals with deepfakes, what the gaps are, what other countries are doing, and what reforms could help.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Deepfakes_and_Synthetic_Media\"><\/span>What Are Deepfakes and Synthetic Media?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Deepfakes are made using machine learning models such as generative adversarial networks (GANs). These systems are trained to swap faces, mimic voices, or generate entirely new but realistic media. Unlike ordinary editing, deepfakes are much harder to spot.<\/p>\n<p>Deepfakes are not always harmful. They can be used in movies, digital art, gaming, advertising, or accessibility tools (for example, to help the speech-impaired). But in practice, most attention comes from their abuse. A 2019 report found that 96% of deepfakes online were pornographic, often targeting women without consent.\u00b9 The danger is not only personal harm but also the erosion of public trust in information.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Current_Legal_Framework_in_India\"><\/span>Current Legal Framework in India<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Information_Technology_Act_2000\"><\/span>Information Technology Act, 2000<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The IT Act has some provisions that can apply to deepfakes:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"provisions\">\n<li><strong>Section 66C<\/strong> punishes identity theft.\u00b2<\/li>\n<li><strong>Section 66D<\/strong> punishes cheating by impersonation using computers.\u00b3<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sections 67 and 67A<\/strong> criminalise publishing obscene or sexually explicit material online.\u2074<\/li>\n<li><strong>Section 69A<\/strong> allows the government to block unlawful content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These provisions give some tools but were not designed for AI-generated manipulation.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bharatiya_Nyaya_Sanhita_2023\"><\/span>Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The new BNS also has sections that could be stretched to cover deepfakes:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"provisions\">\n<li><strong>Section 336<\/strong> \u2013 Forgery of documents or electronic records.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Section 351<\/strong> \u2013 Use of false electronic records.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Section 354<\/strong> \u2013 Sexual harassment (relevant for non-consensual pornographic deepfakes).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Section 356<\/strong> \u2013 Criminal defamation.\u2075<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These provisions may apply if a deepfake harms reputation, impersonates someone, or violates dignity. But again, none of them mention deepfakes specifically.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intermediary_Liability\"><\/span>Intermediary Liability<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 require platforms to remove illegal content once notified.\u2076 However, there is no duty to proactively detect deepfakes or to label AI-generated media. This makes enforcement weak.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Global_Approaches\"><\/span>Global Approaches<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Different countries are moving ahead faster than India:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"European_Union\"><\/span>European Union<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The AI Act (2024 draft) requires clear disclosure and labelling of deepfakes.\u2077<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"United_States\"><\/span>United States<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>States like California and Texas have banned election-related deepfakes close to polling.\u2078<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"China\"><\/span>China<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Deep Synthesis Provisions (2023) require watermarks on all AI-generated media and user identity verification.\u2079<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"United_Kingdom\"><\/span>United Kingdom<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Online Safety Bill (2023) addresses harmful manipulated content.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The common themes are definitions, labelling, platform duties, and stronger victim protection.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal_Gaps_in_India\"><\/span>Legal Gaps in India<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Even with the IT Act, BNS, and IT Rules, the Indian framework has major shortcomings:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>No definition<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cDeepfake\u201d or \u201csynthetic media\u201d has no legal meaning.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weak remedies for victims<\/strong> \u2013 Takedowns are slow, and compensation is rare.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limited platform responsibility<\/strong> \u2013 No proactive detection or watermarking requirements.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jurisdiction issues<\/strong> \u2013 Deepfakes spread across borders, while Indian law is territorially limited.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risk to free speech<\/strong> \u2013 Over-broad laws could restrict satire, parody, or legitimate creative uses.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judicial_and_Policy_Developments\"><\/span>Judicial and Policy Developments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Indian courts have not yet ruled directly on deepfakes, but existing judgments guide the debate:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017)<\/strong> recognised the right to privacy under Article 21.\u00b9\u2070 Circulating deepfake pornography directly violates this right.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015)<\/strong> struck down vague restrictions on online speech, stressing that any law must be precise.\u00b9\u00b9 Future deepfake laws must respect this standard.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Swami Ramdev v. Facebook Inc. (2019, Delhi HC)<\/strong> ordered global takedowns of defamatory content, showing courts are willing to extend online liability across borders.\u00b9\u00b2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Policy discussions are also ongoing. NITI Aayog\u2019s \u201cResponsible AI\u201d report (2021) called for transparency and accountability in AI, but it did not propose deepfake-specific rules.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proposals_for_Reform\"><\/span>Proposals for Reform<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To close these gaps, India needs a comprehensive deepfake law. Some possible steps include:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Define Deepfakes in Law<\/strong>Create a clear definition of \u201cdeepfake\u201d and \u201csynthetic media.\u201d Distinguish harmful uses (e.g., fraud, porn, misinformation) from harmless or beneficial uses (e.g., films, research).<\/li>\n<li><strong>New Offences under BNS<\/strong>Add specific offences for creating, sharing, or profiting from malicious deepfakes, with higher penalties for non-consensual sexual content and election interference.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Platform Duties<\/strong>Mandatory watermarking or labelling of AI-generated media. Faster takedown timelines (24\u201348 hours). Penalties for repeated non-compliance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Victim Remedies<\/strong>A statutory right to erasure for victims of deepfakes. Compensation through fast-track civil claims. Special cyber cells to handle deepfake complaints.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"note\">Support research in AI-based deepfake detection. Use blockchain or digital signatures to verify authentic media. Run public awareness campaigns and media literacy programs.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Deepfakes are more than just a technological trend\u2014they are a direct challenge to privacy, dignity, democracy, and trust in information. India\u2019s current legal tools under the IT Act, BNS, and IT Rules are useful but fragmented.<\/p>\n<p>Learning from global models, India must move towards a specific, balanced legal framework: one that criminalises malicious deepfakes, mandates platform responsibility, and protects victims, while still allowing space for innovation and creativity.<\/p>\n<p>The longer the regulation is delayed, the more risks society faces\u2014from harassment of individuals to manipulation of entire democratic processes. The law must step in before trust in digital information is permanently eroded.<\/p>\n<div class=\"footnotes\"><b>End Notes:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Deeptrace, <em>The State of Deepfakes: Landscape, Threats, and Impact<\/em> (2019).<\/li>\n<li>Information Technology Act, No. 21 of 2000, \u00a7 66C (India).<\/li>\n<li>Id. \u00a7 66D.<\/li>\n<li>Id. \u00a7\u00a7 67\u201367A.<\/li>\n<li>Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, No. 45 of 2023, \u00a7\u00a7 336, 351, 354, 356.<\/li>\n<li>IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.<\/li>\n<li>European Union, AI Act (2024 draft).<\/li>\n<li>California and Texas state laws on election-related deepfakes.<\/li>\n<li>China, Deep Synthesis Provisions (2023).<\/li>\n<li>Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017).<\/li>\n<li>Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015).<\/li>\n<li>Swami Ramdev v. Facebook Inc. (2019, Delhi HC).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deepfakes and Indian Law \u2014 Readability Improved Introduction Technology today allows us to create almost anything on a screen. With artificial intelligence, videos, photos, and even voices can be fabricated so convincingly that it becomes nearly impossible to tell what is real. These are called deepfakes\u2014a form of synthetic media. While such tools can be<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":456,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[24],"class_list":{"0":"post-8524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-cyber-law","7":"tag-just-in"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/456"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8524\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}