New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed a lawyers' organization to represent the Election Commission of India on its petition on the use of deepfake technologies in the political campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The court asked the ECI to expeditiously decide on the representation made by the petitioner, keeping in mind the urgency of the case.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan Singh and Justice Manmeet PS Arora, while disposing of the petition, said that it cannot make any policy in the midst of elections.
The court said it has confidence in the ECI, which is a constitutional body, to act on the matter.
"We cannot make any policy today in the midst of elections. Once it is handed over to the ECI, the court's intervention at this stage will not be appropriate. At this time, the courts will not give any direction. You will have to live with it. All this has to be done before the elections, courts cannot interfere,” the bench said.
"It would not be appropriate for the court to interfere in the jurisdiction of the ECI at this juncture. We must trust the ECI," it said.
The court was hearing a plea by an organization called Lawyers Voice, which had sought direction to the ECI to frame and implement necessary guidelines and/o executive action to be taken due to the widespread use of deepfake technologies in 2024. It was necessary to address public harm and the democratic crisis. election campaign.
The plea also seeks direction to several social media platforms to block deepfake content or content related to political candidates or public figures on their respective platforms until the election results are declared.
The court asked the ECI to expeditiously decide on the representation made by the petitioner, keeping in mind the urgency of the case.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan Singh and Justice Manmeet PS Arora, while disposing of the petition, said that it cannot make any policy in the midst of elections.
The court said it has confidence in the ECI, which is a constitutional body, to act on the matter.
"We cannot make any policy today in the midst of elections. Once it is handed over to the ECI, the court's intervention at this stage will not be appropriate. At this time, the courts will not give any direction. You will have to live with it. All this has to be done before the elections, courts cannot interfere,” the bench said.
"It would not be appropriate for the court to interfere in the jurisdiction of the ECI at this juncture. We must trust the ECI," it said.
The court was hearing a plea by an organization called Lawyers Voice, which had sought direction to the ECI to frame and implement necessary guidelines and/o executive action to be taken due to the widespread use of deepfake technologies in 2024. It was necessary to address public harm and the democratic crisis. election campaign.
The plea also seeks direction to several social media platforms to block deepfake content or content related to political candidates or public figures on their respective platforms until the election results are declared.
