New Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the central government’s response to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to curb platforms and mobile apps that enable deepfakes. The petition, filed by a veteran journalist, demands that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) identify and block such platforms.
The journalist’s PIL argues that deepfakes pose serious threats to public safety, reputation, and privacy, requiring specialized regulation. The Division Bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, issued a notice to the government and scheduled the next hearing for July 19.
The petition calls for a dedicated officer to handle complaints about deepfakes, with a 12-hour response time for general cases and 6 hours for those involving public figures. It also urges social media platforms to swiftly remove deepfake content when complaints are filed by affected individuals.
The plea highlights that deepfakes have disrupted electoral processes and geopolitical events, creating confusion and spreading misinformation. It stresses that the lack of effective regulation infringes on personal liberty and privacy, potentially leading to economic and emotional harm from unauthorized use of personal data.
