HOW DEEPFAKES ARE CREATING NEW RISKS FOR WOMEN IN INDIA

With the rise in the usage of digital media by Indians, a new challenge has arisen in the form of synthetic and manipulated media, particularly deepfakes.

- DR FAUZIA KHAN

The term, created from "deep learning" and "fake", refers to content altered or generated using AI to appear convincingly real.

While this technology is misused globally for financial fraud and political manipulation, its most serious impact in India has been gendered.

Women increasingly find their faces inserted into explicit or violent content without their consent, creating significant harm to dignity, privacy and social reputation.

REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT MUST LEAD THE RESPONSE

The Indian government has recognised the seriousness of this issue. The National Commission for Women has also taken note of this issue, proposing a new section in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to define 'modified content'. These steps reflect that the Indian government is beginning to seriously tackle the problem. In October 2025, it released the Draft Synthetic Information IT Rules 2025, which require watermarks on AI-generated content and mandate user declarations for uploaded material.

However, regulatory clarity is essential, and unfortunately, these rules create more problems than they solve. They broadly define anything made or altered digitally that looks real as "Synthetically Generated Information", or SGI. Apar Gupta of the Internet Freedom Foundation notes that these draft definitions are broad enough to include ordinary digital tools such as Instagram filters, automated captions, or even basic image edits. The Rules provide penal consequences in case the wrong watermark is used, or SGI is used to commit an 'unlawful act'.