NEW DELHI, Sept 25: Taking strong view of digital manipulation involving public figures and private citizens, the Delhi High Court mandated Meta Platforms to immediately take down a fabricated, explicit image featuring a woman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from its platforms within 24 hours. The directive forms part of proceedings initiated after the victim approached the court alleging unauthorized creation and viral distribution of deepfake material.
Notices were served to four leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party—Saurav Das, Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Ratna Singh—who were named as respondents in the petition for their alleged role in generating and sharing the altered content during recent political gatherings in New Delhi. The court highlighted the dual sensitivity of the case, stressing that the integrity of the Prime Minister’s office and the safety of the individual petitioner require rigorous handling by police authorities.
To safeguard the petitioner following reports of ongoing threats, the high court instructed police officials to provide comprehensive security cover while investigating the registered case. The plea highlights how generative AI techniques were allegedly deployed to create misleading visuals, prompting the court to fix the next hearing for mid-October to review compliance and investigative progress.
