Published on: 11th June 2026
Authored by: Suyash Bisht
Graphic Era Hill University Dehradun
The way we talk to each other and have fun online has changed a lot because of intelligence.. One thing that is really scary about artificial intelligence is something called deepfake technology. Deepfakes are like videos or pictures that are made using computers to look just like real people. In India people are using deepfakes in ways and this is a big problem for the law and for society in 2025. It is making people worry about things like privacy. If we can trust what we see online.
In India there have been a lot of cases where deepfakes have been used to trick people. This has happened to people, politicians, journalists and regular people. Fake videos have been shared during elections and people have been fooled into sending money or sharing pictures. Because of this the people who make laws and the courts are thinking about if the laws we have now’re good enough. So making deepfakes against the law is a deal, in India right now.
Deepfakes use computer programs to make fake faces, voices and movements look real. While deepfakes can be used for things like making movies or helping people learn they are often used for bad things. Experts say that deepfakes make it hard to know what is real and what is not. They are worried that deepfakes will make people question what they see and hear. That will cause a lot of problems. Deepfake content is an issue and the criminalisation of deepfake content is what India is dealing with. The use of deepfake technology is. So is the misuse of deepfake content.
India does not have a law that specifically deals with deepfakes. The authorities use a combination of existing cyber laws, criminal laws and data protection regulations to handle this issue. The main laws that are used include the Information Technology Act, 2000 the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Digital Personal Data
Protection Act, 2023.
The Information Technology Act has provisions that are used to prosecute people who create deepfakes. For example Section 66C punishes people who steal someones identity while Section 66D deals with cheating by using someones identity with the help of computers. Sections 67 67A and 67B make it a crime to publish or send explicit content, including child abuse material in electronic form. These provisions are often used in cases where people create explicit videos or manipulate intimate images.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is also a law that helps to combat deepfake crimes. This law has provisions that deal with defamation, intimidation, privacy violations and spreading information. These provisions are being used more and more to deal with content that is generated by intelligence. For instance Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita deals with defamation. Can be used when deepfake videos harm someones reputation. The law also protects peoples privacy. Prevents the spread of manipulated content without their consent.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is another law that is being used to deal with deepfakes. Deepfake systems often use peoples data, including their photographs, voice samples and biometric information without their permission. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act tries to protect peoples personal data and makes sure that companies that use this data follow the law. Experts say that using peoples information to create synthetic media is a violation of the principles of data protection.
The Indian government has proposed some changes to the Information Technology Rules to deal with intelligence-generated content. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has proposed that synthetic media should be labelled clearly and that social media platforms should be more responsible for the content they
host. This means that social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X may have to remove deepfake content and make sure that people know what is real and what is not.
One of the challenges in 2025 is that there is no clear definition of what a deepfake is. Lawyers and policymakers say that the existing laws were not made to deal with intelligence-generated content. This lack of clarity creates confusion about who’s responsible for deepfake crimes and how they should be punished. Courts and law enforcement agencies often have to fit deepfake crimes into categories like impersonation, fraud, obscenity or defamation.
Another challenge is that social media platforms can spread deepfake content quickly. The governments proposed changes try to make these platforms more responsible, for the content they host. However some people are worried that this could affect peoples freedom of speech and lead to censorship. Some organisations are concerned that broad definitions of content could stop people from creating satire, parody or art that uses artificial intelligence. The Digital Personal Data
Protection Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita are laws that are being used to deal with deepfakes. The government is trying to make sure that peoples personal data is protected. Deepfakes are an issue and the Indian government is trying to find ways to deal with them.
