Delhi High Court declines to interfere in deepfake video circulation case

New Delhi, May 2: The Delhi High Court has declined to issue directives to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the cessation of deepfake video circulation during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora's Division Bench expressed confidence in the ECI's ability to address the matter effectively, stating that intervening during elections would be inappropriate.

Senior Advocate Jayant Mehta, representing the petitioner, suggested a certification process for political content on social media akin to that for traditional media.

However, the Bench deemed this impractical, noting that politicians engage with constituents in various settings, including rallies and street interactions.

The Bench advised the petitioner to submit their concerns to the ECI by May 6, emphasising the ECI's obligation to review and take appropriate action.

The ECI assured the Bench that deepfake videos featuring prominent figures like Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, Aamir Khan, and Ranveer Singh had been removed, with criminal complaints lodged.

Expressing concern over repeat offenders posting fake videos, the Court recommended publicising their identities and suggested the ECI consider dynamic injunctions to prevent the retweeting of such content.

However, it declined to mandate the ECI to establish guidelines during the electoral process.