In a bold move to tackle the rise of AI-generated deepfakes, the Gujarat High Court has summoned major social media platforms. On Wednesday, the court issued notices to Meta India, Google, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and Scribd. They must respond by May 8.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D N Ray directed these platforms to connect with the government’s Sahyog portal. This integration aims to streamline the removal process for unlawful content in line with the Information Technology Act of 2000.
The judges stressed that social media intermediaries need to deliver “effective and meaningful responses” as part of their due diligence responsibilities. The urgency stems from a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) brought forth by advocate Vikas Vijay Nair, who pointed out how quickly AI-generated videos and images are spreading. These deepfakes can mimic real voices and faces with startling accuracy, threatening public trust.
Affidavits submitted by both the Centre and Gujarat government revealed concerning trends: tech companies have been slow in responding to lawful content removal requests. The Ministry of Home Affairs noted improvements from Meta and Google but criticized X for its lack of responsiveness. Out of 94 notices sent to X during 2024-2026, only 13 received any formal reply. The ministry argued that this inadequate response hinders enforcement efforts and falls short of enhanced compliance standards mandated by recent IT Rules changes.