This Long article has been written by Dhatrii Singh and co- authored by Adv. Akshat Vatsya. Dhatri is a Law student at Gitarattan International Business School, Indraprastha University, Akshat is a student at UPES, Dehradun.
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to analyze the dynamics of regulating deep fake technology in India, is state that is currently submerged by the flow of synthetic media generated by AI which makes it extremely hard to differentiate the real from fake. Deepfakes produced by GAN are dangerous to person’s reputation, the public and democratic processes, considering the example of the fake Rashmika Mandanna’s video or political campaigns in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The paper outlines the technological advances of deep fakes, the subjective and psychological impacts associated with them, as well as the current upsurge in their use, especially in India; defamatory cases and electoral interference. It especially discusses the Indian laws that address information technology and includes the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 which the author regards as insufficient as a result of their ambiguity, reactive approach, and inability to account for deepfake-related crimes. This paper, focuses on how free speech as provided by Article 19(1)(a) has to be restricted due to the grounds under Article 19(2) by the aid of cases such as Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015).
Therefore, the rationale of the paper is to identify measures that will help the government regulate deepfakes in a way that does not infringe on the freedom of speech rights of the people. At the same time reduce the spread of fake news that has been notorious in India. It uses a benchmarking research methodology which aims at comparing indian circumstances to the global occurrences from international models like EU’s Digital Service Act & AI Act, U.S state-level disclosure laws, or stringent Chinese content control to extract the insights suited for India’s socio-cultural and digital landscape. The media literacy addressed here includes technology-based systems (AI systems for detection, blockchain, and watermarking), governmental and academic-industry partnerships, and informational campaign. It actually presents a comprehensive approach that involves the use of laws, technology and increased awareness to ensure that democracy is upheld while at the same time ensuring that security has been enhanced. To that end, this study focuses on enforcement issues and culture, which would help the policy maker to provide direction on promoting innovation and safeguarding the citizenry from the dangers of deep fake news.
