12 Feb 2024
In 2023, deepfakes rose 550% to around 96,000 cases, making India the 6th most vulnerable country.
Deepfakes use deep generative methods to create videos and voice calls artificially. Companies like The Indian Deepfaker offer deepfake-as-a-service. In India, it is available for just ₹8 per video compared to ₹25 in Japan or the US.
Many political parties use deepfake videos and voice calls to engage their party workers in a personalised chat. However, their usage by cybercriminals has increased by 230%.
As per Rule 3(2)(b) of the Information Technology Act (IT Act), in November 2023, the government directed social media companies to remove fake content from their platform within 24 hours of a complaint being filed. Section 66D of the same Act cites imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of ₹1 lakh as a punishment for impersonating someone using computer technology. Besides, Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code cover defamation. A user can file a complaint for a deepfake video intentionally created to defame them through impersonation.