New Delhi : The Supreme Court has sounded the alarm: India urgently needs rules to rein in the unbridled power of social media and the growing menace of deepfake AI. What began as a tool of connection is now a weapon of disruption, endangering reputations, communities, and even democracy itself.
In a recent directive, the Court urged the Union government to draft comprehensive guidelines, describing the spread of misinformation and fake content as a threat to social order. From district benches to the apex court, petitions linked to defamatory posts and manipulated videos have become routine. Yet government action has so far been piecemeal—limited to advisories and reactive measures.
Policy experts argue that this is no longer enough. They are calling for a civilian-majority oversight committee—comprising academics, media, retired judges, former police officers, scientists, business leaders and farmers—to monitor platforms and recommend strict enforcement. Key proposals include automatic FIR registration in cases of hate speech, sedition, blackmail, conspiracy and disinformation. Daily reviews at the district level, mirrored at state and national tiers, would create a multi-layered accountability system.
Equally urgent, reformers say, is the reconstitution of the Press Council of India. Long viewed as ineffective, it could be transformed into a powerful watchdog by expanding its scope to cover both social and electronic media, with authority on par with the Election Commission or the Central Vigilance Commission.
The dangers are not theoretical. Deepfakes have already infiltrated Indian politics. During the 2024 general elections, AI-generated videos—some even reviving deceased leaders—were deployed in campaigns. Civil society had to launch a crowdsourced Deepfake Analysis Unit to help voters detect manipulation.
Globally, the trend is clear. Britain’s Online Safety Act now penalises platforms with fines of up to 10% of global turnover. Australia will bar under-16s from social media from December 2025. The EU, Malaysia, France, Indonesia and the UAE have all introduced tough new rules. The message is simple: absolute online freedom is no longer tolerated.
India must now decide its path. Analysts believe only a combination of licensing, heavy financial penalties, and civilian oversight can restore order. Without such steps, victims will continue to seek relief in courts while offenders thrive in the shadows.
The question is not whether regulation will come—it is when, how, and by whom.
