Committee being set up to examine Deepfake issue: Centre tells Delhi High Court

The Central government recently informed the Delhi High Court that it has taken steps to constitute a committee to study the issue of deepfakes and tackle the misuse of deepfake technology [Rajat Sharma Vs Union Of India].

The Bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was informed of the development on Thursday (November 21) by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).

The MEITY informed that an order was passed a day earlier, on November 20, to set up the Deepfake Committee.

The Court proceeded to ask the Centre to promptly name the nominees who would become part of this committee within a week.

Further, the Court called on the newly constituted committee to hear various stakeholders - including internet intermediaries, telecommunication service providers, victims of deepfakes and websites using deepfakes. The Bench also directed the committee to consider suggestions made by the petitioners before the Court on how to tackle deepfake misuse.

The report compiled by the committee after conducting this exercise is to be submitted as soon as possible, preferably in three months, the Bench added.

"The said Committee shall also consider the regulations as well as statutory framework in foreign countries like the European Union. This Court further directs the Committee relating to the issue of deepfakes to invite and hear the experiences and suggestions of a few of the stakeholders like the intermediary platforms, telecommunication service providers, victims of deepfakes and websites which provide and deploy deepfakes before submitting its report," the November 21 order said.

The Court passed the order while dealing with two petitions - one filed by journalist Rajat Sharma and another filed by advocate Chaitanya Rohilla, who have called for the regulation of deepfakes.

Deepfakes are digitally manipulated videos that impersonate people, which may be used to spread false information.

In earlier hearings, the Court had asked the Centre to consider setting up an in-house mechanism or a committee to examine how these issues could be tackled.

In response, the Central government filed a status report disclosing that it has constituted committees to examine the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as deepfakes.

In its November 21 status report, MEITY added that it is funding research projects for deepfake detection. Among other proposed initiatives is the creation of websites to crowdsource videos for deepfake detection as well as the development of software and desktop applications to perform such tasks.

The matter will be heard next on March 24, 2025.

Senior Advocate Darpan Wadhwa, with Advocates Rohan Swarup, Sanyam Suri, Divita Vyas, Rea Bhalla appeared for Rajat Sharma.

Advocate Manohar Lal appeared for Chaitanya Rohilla, who also appeared in person.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, Central Government Standing Counsel Apoorv Kurup with Advocates Amit Gupta, Akhil Hasija, Gauri Gobrudhan, Saurabh Tripathi, Shubham Sharma and Vikramaditya Singh appeared for the Central government.

[Read order]