Someone created a deepfake video of me, what legal action can I take in India?

Question

A manipulated deepfake video showing my face on someone else's body is circulating online and damaging my reputation. What I am unsure about is the procedure — where the application goes, what it costs, and how long deepfake legal action india matters usually take. A plain explanation of the steps, in order, would help more than a general answer.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

The law that applies to deepfake legal action india here is Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66D, Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66E, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – Section 356 (defamation) and Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 67/67A. The detail below matters, because Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66D draws the line differently depending on what your documents show.

Section 66E punishes capturing/publishing images violating a person's privacy with up to 3 years imprisonment and fine up to Rs 2 lakh, which can extend to deepfake manipulation depicting private body parts.

If the deepfake is sexually explicit, Sections 67 and 67A (publishing obscene/sexually explicit material electronically) apply, with punishment up to 5-7 years on subsequent conviction.

Deepfakes used to defraud or deceive fall under Section 66D of the IT Act, while reputational harm can be pursued as defamation under Section 356 BNS.

MeitY's advisories under the IT Rules 2021 require platforms to remove deepfake/synthetic media within 36 hours of a government or court order, or lose safe harbour protection.

Report immediately to the platform for takedown and to cybercrime.gov.in, and preserve the video URL/metadata as it may be taken down quickly, losing valuable evidence.

What to do next: 1) Report the deepfake video to the platform for urgent takedown citing IT Rules 2021; 2) File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in citing Sections 66E/67/67A as applicable; 3) Preserve URLs, screenshots, and metadata before the content is removed; 4) Send a legal notice/file defamation complaint if reputational harm is significant.

If you are unsure whether your facts fall inside Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66D, that is worth checking with an advocate before you commit to a route, because switching later costs time. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in cyber law.