Indian Govt Withholds Deepfake Complaint Data, Responds With New Laws
India's central government declined to provide specific figures on deepfake complaints and content removal requests despite a parliamentary inquiry. Instead, it detailed existing and new legal frameworks for tackling AI-generated content.
India's government has opted not to disclose the number of deepfake complaints or content removal requests it has handled, despite being specifically asked in Parliament. In a written response, the government instead outlined the legal framework in place to combat AI-generated deepfakes, including recent rule changes and enforcement mechanisms.
The inquiry, submitted to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) by Member of Parliament Karti P. Chidambaram, sought data on deepfake complaints received, takedown order compliance, and coordination efforts. However, the government did not provide figures on complaints logged through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, CERT-In, or other agencies over the past two years. Data on requests issued to social media intermediaries for deepfake removal and their compliance within the stipulated three-hour deadline was also omitted.
Instead of providing statistics, the government highlighted existing legal provisions. These include sections of India's Information Technology Act, 2000, which address offenses such as identity theft, impersonation, and privacy violations. The response also referenced provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, pertaining to cheating by impersonation, forgery, and misinformation.
The government also referred to the amended IT Rules notified in February 2026. These rules mandate platforms to label AI-generated content, preserve metadata, and implement measures to detect unlawful synthetic content. Platforms are required to remove illegal content within three hours of receiving valid government or court directions, with potential loss of safe harbor protection for non-compliance.
Regarding enforcement and coordination, the government pointed to existing mechanisms. These include the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Samanvaya platform, which links cybercrime investigations across states. The government stated that these efforts have led to numerous arrests and the identification of criminal linkages.