Delhi HC directs lawyers org to give representation to ECI on guidelines to stop misuse of deepfake tech

The Delhi High Court issued directives on Thursday, instructing a lawyers’ association to present a representation to the Election Commission of India regarding their plea concerning the use of deepfake technologies in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections’ political campaigns.

The court urged the Election Commission to promptly assess the representation provided by the petitioners, emphasising the urgent nature of the issue at hand.

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora presided over the bench, concluding the petition by stating that formulating a policy amidst ongoing elections was impractical. They underscored their faith in the Election Commission, a constitutional body, to address the matter appropriately.

The bench stated, “We cannot draft a policy amid elections. Once it’s in the hands of the ECI, intervening at this stage wouldn’t be appropriate. Courts will refrain from issuing directives now. These matters should be resolved prior to elections. Courts cannot intervene at the eleventh hour.”

“It would not be fitting for the court to interfere with the Election Commission’s jurisdiction presently. Let’s have faith in the Election Commission,” the bench added.

The court heard a plea filed by Lawyer’s Voice, an organisation advocating for directions to the Election Commission to devise and implement necessary guidelines or executive actions to combat the widespread use of deepfake technologies in the 2024 election campaign. Additionally, the plea requested directives for various social media platforms to remove and block deepfake content related to political candidates or public figures until the announcement of poll results.

(With PTI inputs)