India well-equipped to tackle evolving online harms, cyber crimes: Govt tells Parliament

In the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada stated that India’s cyber legal framework, supported by the IT Act, BNS, and organizations like GAC, CERT-In, and I4C, is well-equipped to address changing online harms and cybercrimes.
MoS Prasada stated on Friday that the government is aware of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered deepfakes, which include text, video, and audio that has been altered.

A person’s right to privacy, dignity, and reputation can all be negatively impacted by such content. According to the Ministry of Electronics & IT, he continued, it also raises questions regarding platform responsibility.

The MoS stated that the Government of India has put in place a thorough legislative and institutional framework to counter the growing threat of deepfakes and guarantee an open, secure, and responsible cyberspace. The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), which makes identity theft, impersonation, privacy violations, and the dissemination of pornographic material illegal, is one of several laws that now target different facets of AI-generated problems. Additionally, it gives authorities the authority to send intermediaries takedown warnings (Section 79) and blocking orders (Section 69A).

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which were revised in 2022 and 2023, serve as a supplement to this. They require digital platforms to take reasonable precautions, avoid hosting illegal content, and maintain responsibility.

Another layer is added by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), which mandates that data fiduciaries—including AI companies—process personal data legally and with user consent. Under this Act, deepfakes that use personal information without authorization may face penalties. Additionally, Sections 353 and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) deal with organized cybercrimes and disinformation.

In addition, the government has issued recommendations (in December 2023 and March 2024) instructing intermediaries to eliminate deepfake and impersonation content, alert users to deceptive content, and guarantee prompt adherence to the rulings of the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC).

When AI-generated content produces potentially inaccurate results, intermediaries are also encouraged to mark it. Platforms like the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and its SAHYOG Portal, which facilitate the coordinated takedown of illegal information, are part of India’s larger cyber ecosystem. By contacting the helpline 1930 or via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, citizens can report instances.

Additionally, through programs like Safer Internet Day, National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and Cyber Jagrookta Diwas, CERT-In runs public awareness campaigns and offers information on new AI risks, like deepfakes. (ANI)