Panel examining deepfake issue needs 3 more months to submit report: Govt to Delhi HC

MEITy, in November 2024, was given three months for its deepfake sub-committee to submit its report.

The direction by the division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela came in a public interest litigation seeking that deepfake usage be stopped in commercial advertising and for non-consensual commercial purposes, without compensating the original artists fairly.

The PIL, filed in November 2024 by a professional model Kanchan Nagar, represented by advocate Mumtaz Bhalla, representing the interest of artistes and opposing the use of unregulated deepfake for commercial purposes.

At least three petitions are pending before the Delhi HC seeking regulation of deepfakes.

MEITY, in November 2024, had informed Delhi HC that an Advisory Group on ‘AI for India Specific Regulatory AI Framework’ was formed in September 2023, for India specific regulator AI framework. MEITY had informed the court that the Advisory Group had submitted its report and it is under examination.

Additionally, MEITY had constituted a sub-committee for AI governance guidelines development in November 2023, which too has submitted its report, and the report is currently under examination.

MEITY also constituted another committee for matters related to the issue of Deepfakes on November 20, 2024.

In an order on November 21, 2024, the HC had directed MEITY that its committee examining 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,” while granting it three months’ time to submit such a report.

On Monday MEITY sought another three months’ time for preparation of the report, with its counsel submitting before the court that the committee is yet to hear victims of deepfakes and other stakeholders.

Granting MEITY time as requested, the bench recorded that “by the next date we expect the sub committee shall complete deliberations and submit the report.”

The court also directed the sub-committee to consider the suggestions made by the petitioners — a collective of artistes — as well as the ASCI, a self regulatory body regulating the advertisers.

The court will consider the matter next on July 10.