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29 July 2026

Nitin Gadkari deepfake plea

The case highlights the growing governance challenge of deepfakes and the role of technology intermediaries, providing relevant context for questions on digital regulation and legal accountability.

1 min read Day 3 of 10 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • The Bombay High Court is hearing a civil suit filed by a Union Minister against major social media platforms (Meta, X, Google) regarding the circulation of defamatory deepfake content.
  • The content in question falsely linked a public official to the Centre’s Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP).
  • The petitioner is seeking damages of ₹11 crore, citing reputational harm caused by the viral deepfake material.
  • The court has directed the petitioner to serve copies of the civil suit to all respondents, including the technology intermediaries.

Part of a longer story

This is day 3 of 10 in Regulation of AI-generated political content and deepfakes, which has been running since 2 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. The rise of deepfake technology poses significant challenges to digital governance and the integrity of public discourse. Discuss the regulatory framework available under the Information Technology Act to address the proliferation of synthetic media and the liability of intermediaries in curbing such content. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The emergence of AI-generated misinformation threatens the democratic process and individual reputation. In the context of the evolving digital landscape, analyze the legal and ethical challenges in balancing the right to freedom of speech with the necessity of protecting individuals from defamatory synthetic content. Suggest measures to enhance digital literacy and institutional accountability. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which of the following best describes the legal status of social media platforms as intermediaries under the Information Technology Act, 2000 in the context of user-generated content?