India's Lok Sabha Introduces Comprehensive Bill to Regulate Deepfake Content with Mandatory Consent Requirements

The Bill also aims to establish a Deepfake Task Force (Representational)

A Private Member's Bill seeking to create a comprehensive legal framework for regulating deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, presented by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to safeguard citizens by requiring prior consent from individuals portrayed in deepfake content.

"The misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and spreading misinformation has increased, creating an urgent need for regulatory protections," Shinde stated.

The Bill also outlines penalties for those who create or share deepfake content with malicious intent.

"With progress in artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies, deepfakes have become a powerful tool for media manipulation. While this technology offers potential benefits in education, entertainment and creative industries, it also presents serious risks when misused, endangering individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde explained in the statement of objects and reasons accompanying the Bill.

The proposed legislation aims to establish a definitive legal framework to regulate the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, according to Shinde, who is a three-term Lok Sabha representative from Kalyan.

Additionally, the Bill proposes to create a Deepfake Task Force, a specialized body dedicated to addressing national security implications and assessing the impact of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.

This task force will work with academic institutions and private sector organizations to develop technologies for detecting manipulated content, thereby enhancing credibility in digital media.

The Bill also suggests establishing a fund to support public and private sector initiatives focused on detecting and deterring advanced image manipulation.

A Private Member's Bill is a parliamentary procedure allowing lawmakers who are not ministers to draw attention to issues that may not be addressed in Government Bills, or to highlight issues and gaps in existing legal frameworks that require legislative action.