Abstract

Newer developments in AI and machine learning, including the generative adversarial network(GAN), pose a significant threat to both digital security and privacy that lead to public distrust. This paper will realize the legal, technological, and enforcement challenges related to deepfake technology in India encompassing a huge extent of usage, from criminal law to cyber security, misinformation, and financial frauds. Though deepfakes are increasingly misused, including but not limited to political propaganda and identity theft and non-consensual pornography, India’s legal framework does not have dedicated provisions to counter and lay down penalties to punish their creation and distribution properly. While other legislative tools like the IT Act, 2000, discussions of the BNS, 2023 and the DPDP Act, 2023 partially cover the matter, they do not deal with the deepfake-related offenses, which are problematic in nature. This paper underlines the compelling need for an emergent and comprehensive Deepfake Prevention and Regulation Act to determine clear legal definitions, limits, and legal consequences for transgressors. The study will also focus on technological innovations and detection strategies required in the confrontation against deepfakes such as AI-driven forensic instruments, blockchain digital authentication, and watermarking processes. Moreover, it brings out the responsibility of social media platforms in preventing the virus of manipulated content and suggests regulatory measures to further build accountability. This research also delineates the socio-political consequences tangentially created through the misuse of deepfake technology related to their implications with democratic processes, reputational damage definition, and breach of personal privacy. Advocacy for public awareness campaigns, increased digital literacy, and international cooperation are the recommended proposals to strengthen India's capacity against the threat of deepfakes. In its sense of minimizing the damage by countering deepfake threats and maintaining the credibility of the digital infrastructure, India may persist with a multilateral action of reforms-driven policy measures, technological modulations, and cross-national collaborations.

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