India Proposes Stricter Laws Against Deepfakes and Digital Scams

The cases have deepened concerns over the potential for misinformation to sow discord in India during a geopolitical crisis, such as in the war against Pakistan last year. The proposal aims to close a gap in India’s laws by clearly defining punishments concerning deepfakes and other related offences. The changes would also cover “digital arrest” or impersonation scams, in which criminals pose as police, central bank or government officials and pressure victims via video calls into transferring money or face alleged legal action. Those who are convicted could have their assets or bank accounts frozen, according to local media reports. Under current Indian laws, online platforms are required to label deepfakes as artificial intelligence-generated and allow tracking of such content. They have to remove deepfakes within three hours of a government or court order and manipulated intimate images within two hours.