Pvt Bill moved to regulate deepfakes in LS

A Private Member’s Bill seeking a legal framework to regulate deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, moved by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on Friday, aims to protect citizens by requiring prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake material and by setting penalties for those who create or distribute malicious deepfakes.

“Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards,” Shinde said. In the bill’s statement of objects and reasons he warned that while deepfake technology may have legitimate uses in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks to privacy, national security and public trust.

The proposed legislation would establish a Deepfake Task Force to address national-security concerns, assess the technology’s impact on privacy and elections, and work with academic and private-sector institutions to develop detection tools.