Gurugram
The Gurugram police have said they have constituted a six-member team of women police to remove deepfake images and AI-generated pornography videos within five hours of receiving a complaint. They will launch a helpline on Tuesday for victims who do not wish to visit police stations, officers said.
Vikas Arora, Gurugram police commissioner, said that the dedicated team will handle such cases, in which the faces of women or girls are altered and uploaded on social media platforms without consent, amounting to blackmail or extortion.
“Victims will be able to share screenshots, links and details of the content through the helpline, after which the police will coordinate with social media platforms to ensure takedown within five hours,” he said.
Claiming that the Gurugram police were the first to implement a helpline in this regard, officers said the women officers of the team have been given specialised cyber training to detect, trace and respond swiftly to such complaints. The officers have been trained in handling digital evidence, identifying manipulated content, preserving online trails, and coordinating directly with social media platforms for expedited takedowns.
“The team will keep a close, round-the-clock watch on social media platforms, messaging apps and online forums for such illegal content, while also tracking repeat offenders and emerging patterns of misuse of artificial intelligence. The focus of the training was not only technical expertise but also victim sensitivity, ensuring complaints are handled discreetly, securely and with empathy while taking prompt legal and technological action,” Arora said.
To make reporting safer and more accessible, the police have introduced multiple victim-friendly provisions. If a victim does not wish to visit a police station, members of the women-led team will visit her residence in civil clothes to record the complaint. There is also a provision to keep the victim’s identity confidential.
Besides, the police will provide counselling support to victims to help them deal with trauma and emotional distress caused by online abuse. The helpline will be handled by trained personnel to ensure sensitive communication and quick response.
“With the misuse of AI and deepfake technology increasing, it is crucial that victims get immediate relief without fear or hesitation. Our priority is rapid action, dignity of the victim and emotional support,” Arora said.
To be sure, the Union government has notified amendments requiring photorealistic AI-generated contents to be prominently labelled and significantly shortening timelines for takedown of illegal material, including non-consensual deepfakes. The changes, under the Information Technology Act, 2021, came into force on February 20. Under the amended rules, social media platforms will now have between 2-3 hours to remove certain categories of unlawful content, a sharp reduction from the earlier 24-36 hour window.