PIL In Supreme Court Seeks Regulation Of Artificial Intelligence Tools To Prevent Deepfake Misuse

A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Union Government to frame a comprehensive regulatory and licensing framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, especially those capable of generating synthetic images, videos, and audio impersonations of real individuals.

The petition, filed by advocate Aarati Sah, urges the court to issue a writ of mandamus to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to establish a statutory mechanism for the responsible deployment of AI technologies and to ensure accountability from digital intermediaries like Meta Platforms and Google.

According to the petition, the unregulated spread of AI-generated content, popularly known as deepfakes, has led to serious violations of privacy, dignity, and reputation. “The unchecked use of AI tools capable of cloning voices and images has already caused immense harm to individuals and poses an imminent threat to public trust, social harmony, and national security,” the plea states.

The petitioner cited a recent surge in deepfake incidents targeting public figures, including celebrities and journalists, noting that the Delhi and Bombay High Courts have granted interim protections in several such cases. Among those who obtained relief are Akshay Kumar, Kumar Sanu, and journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, the petition records.

Drawing comparisons with international practices, the petition points out that jurisdictions such as the European Union, the United States, China, and Singapore have implemented regulatory regimes to curb the misuse of AI-generated content through risk-based classification, labelling, and enforcement systems. India, it argues, lacks such legal safeguards.

The plea argues that inaction by the government violates citizens' fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. It also accuses platforms like Meta and Google of failing to act swiftly on complaints of deepfake misuse, thereby rendering grievance redressal mechanisms ineffective.

Citing precedents such as Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India on privacy and Tehseen S. Poonawalla v. Union of India on curbing digital violence, the petitioner contends that judicial intervention is now essential to prevent further harm and to safeguard citizens' digital dignity.

The PIL seeks three key directions from the apex court:

• To direct the Union Government to frame and notify a comprehensive AI regulatory and licensing framework.
• To mandate digital platforms to establish transparent, time-bound mechanisms for removal of AI-generated impersonations.
• To constitute an expert committee comprising government officials, jurists, technologists, and civil society members to recommend ethical AI standards.

The petition emphasizes that deepfakes have the potential to “destroy lives, reputations, and institutions within moments” and warns that without immediate intervention, they could be weaponized to influence elections, incite communal discord, and undermine public faith in democratic institutions.

The petition is filed through Adv Anilendra Pandey.

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