Indian Political Party Accused of Using Deepfakes
India's Congress party has been accused of using AI-generated deepfakes in media attacking industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The allegations have prompted warnings against sharing unverified content that could spread misinformation. This incident highlights the growing use of synthetic media in high-stakes political campaigns globally.
- An Ahmedabad civil court ordered the Indian National Congress party to remove a deepfake video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani from all social media platforms within 48 hours of the December 19, 2025, ruling. The court deemed the content "prima facie defamatory" and noted that its continued circulation could cause irreversible harm to reputation. - The use of deepfakes in Indian politics is a growing business, with both incumbent and opposition parties utilizing AI-generated audio and visuals. During the 2024 general election, over 75% of Indians were exposed to political deepfakes, and nearly one in four believed the AI-generated content was real. - India has been amending its IT rules to combat deepfakes; a February 2026 amendment to the Information Technology Rules, 2021, requires social media platforms to remove illegal posts within three hours of a government or court order. The rules also mandate the labeling of AI-generated content with visible tags and digital markers. - During the 2024 election, political parties in India reportedly spent an estimated $50 million on AI-generated content. This included not only attack ads but also using AI to create multilingual campaign materials and resurrect deceased political figures to endorse candidates. - The challenge of deepfakes in elections is a global issue, with incidents reported in at least 38 countries, affecting a combined population of 3.8 billion people since 2021. Examples include AI-generated audio in Slovakia to spread election-rigging conspiracies and a robocall impersonating U.S. President Joe Biden to discourage voting. - In response to the growing threat, major tech platforms have signed a voluntary "Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections," committing to detect and address deepfakes. However, the implementation and effectiveness of this self-regulation are still under evaluation. - Beyond deepfake videos, a more pervasive issue during the recent Indian election was the use of "cheapfakes," which employ AI-generated voices over authentic or lightly manipulated visuals. These are often harder to detect than full video deepfakes. - The Indian government has signaled a move from reactive content moderation to more proactive governance. In February 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology required tech companies to seek government approval before launching new generative AI tools.
